‘A STEP BACK’

Montana House Passes Two Anti-Trans Youth Bills

If made law, Montana’s HB 112 would ban young trans athletes from participating in sports, while HB 113 would enshrine a ban on physical and mental health care for trans youth.

The Montana House has passed two bills, impacting the rights of transgender youth in the state. As The Daily Beast has previously reported, if ultimately passed into law HB 112 would prevent interscholastic athletes from participating in athletic activities consistent with their gender identity, while HB 113 would enshrine an effective ban on physical and mental health care for trans youth, including banning the use of puberty blockers, while punishing and fining doctors who treat young trans people. HB 112 and HB 113 face a third vote in the House before moving to the state Senate, and are mirrored in content and tone by a raft of anti-trans bills in other states, which are being tracked by the ACLU.

In a statement, Sam Brinton, VP of Advocacy and Government Affairs at The Trevor Project, said, “On the same day that President Biden has moved our country forward by reversing the transgender military ban, Montana lawmakers are trying to take us a step back. Implementing these policies would be incredibly harmful to the mental health and well-being of transgender and nonbinary youth in Montana, who deserve to live their lives with dignity and respect.”