North Carolina House Passes HB808, Attacking Access to Healthcare for Transgender Youth and Defying Best Practices and Recommendations of Medical Experts
Tonight, the North Carolina House voted to advance HB808, a bill that would restrict access to gender-affirming medical care for transgender people under the age of 18. The bill, originally filed as an outright ban on all gender-affirming care (including hormone therapy, puberty blockers, and surgery), was substituted in committee yesterday for a ban limited to surgical procedures. The bill follows a dangerous national trend of banning gender affirming health care for transgender youth, defying best practices and recommendations of medical experts.
On the House floor today, an amendment was adopted that prohibits state funding for all transgender-related health procedures for people under 18 – although the language of the bill does not define the term “procedure.” This bill has implications for trans young people whose families are insured by Medicaid or through the NC state employee healthcare plan. This amendment was passed despite a June 2022 federal court ruling in Kadel v. Folwell finding that North Carolina’s state health plan’s categorical exclusion of transgender-related healthcare is unlawful. The lawsuit was brought by Lambda Legal and Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund.
Having made the crossover deadline, the bill now advances to the State Senate. Several other bills targeting LGBTQ+ youth, and specifically transgender young people, have also cleared the crossover deadline and will continue being considered this session.
Allison Scott (she/her pronouns), Director of Impact & Innovation at the Campaign for Southern Equality, said:
“Let me be as clear as possible: this bill is wrong, it is cruel and it is unconstitutional. We will fight this bill with every tool and resources we have. Transgender youth deserve support, love, and access to life-affirming medical care. Medical decisions are private matters for families and trusted doctors – not the kind of cruel, blatant overreach we see in this bill. To transgender youth reading the news of this political attack, please know that you are loved, you are supported, and an entire community is here to help you access every tool that you need to thrive.”
This afternoon a ban on abortion access in North Carolina also advanced. Kendra R. Johnson (she/her pronouns), Executive Director of Equality NC, said:
“Gender-affirming care bans and abortion bans cut off people’ s access to essential healthcare and endanger lives. Lawmakers are circumventing democratic processes to fast-track these bans, ignoring the bold opposition expressed by the public and the medical community. Politicians need to stay out of private healthcare decisions and stop trying to enact control over other people’s bodies.”
Earlier this week 630+ medical providers across the state submitted an open letter condemning legislation like HB808 and opposing government overreach in healthcare. They wrote: “As North Carolina health care professionals deeply committed to protecting our patients and preserving the trusting and informed relationship between patient and provider, we adamantly oppose any bans or restrictions on access to and provision of life-saving, gender-affirming care.”
Learn more about anti-LGBTQ+ legislation being considered in North Carolina by visiting the website for NC is Ready.