NC Family Staff | June 26, 2023 | SHARE: 
Last week, the North Carolina Senate Health Care and Judiciary committees both passed HB 808—Gender Transition/Minors. This Senate Committee Substitute of the bill would make it “unlawful for a medical professional to perform a surgical gender transition procedure on a minor or to prescribe, provide, or dispense puberty-blocking drugs or cross-sex hormones to a minor,” with limited exceptions. The bill would also provide conscience protection for medical professionals and institutions, so they could not be forced to perform these procedures or prescribe, provide, or dispense these chemicals.
A violation of the law would subject a physician to potential license revocation and/or civil penalties “for any physical, psychological, emotional, or physiological harms the minor suffers as a result of the surgical gender transition procedure, puberty-blocking drugs, or cross-sex hormones.” According to the bill, a minor or the minor’s parent could bring a civil action against a physician or the physician’s employer up to 25 years after the minor turns 18 or “four years from the time of discovery by the injured party of both the injury and the causal relationship between the treatment and the injury against the offending medical professional or entity,” whichever is later.
Similarly, the State House passed a committee substitute earlier in the week for SB 631-Minor Gender Trans. Proc./Public Providers. However, instead of prohibiting all medical professionals from administering puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and conducting gender reassignment surgeries on minors, this bill would only apply to “a public healthcare facility, or a health care provider employed by or under contract with a public healthcare facility.” These are defined as The University of North Carolina Health Care System and its affiliates, NC Department of Health and Human Services facilities, and local health departments. Also, this bill does not include civil or other penalties for a violation of the law.
While testifying in favor of HB 808, NC Family Counsel Jere Royall shared, “Children with gender dysphoria certainly need our compassion and understanding and help. Medical evidence however does not support today’s protocols for so-called treatments for gender confused youth.” He quoted The American College of Pediatricians statement that “There is not a single long-term study to demonstrate the safety or efficacy” of these chemicals or surgeries.
He added, “The procedures currently being used, including experimental puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones and surgeries to remove healthy body parts come with a myriad of negative side effects which can include irreversible body changes, sterility, and mental illness. Sadly, these outcomes are often permanent.”
Please contact your House and Senate members and urge them to SUPPORT House Bill 808!
You can learn more about the medical dangers of transgender procedures here.
