Two bills signed into law by Missouri Governor Mike Parson in June went into effect on Monday, imposing restrictions on transgender youth regarding access to sex-reassignment health care and participation in school sports. One law prohibits minors from starting puberty blockers and hormones, as well as making gender surgeries for youths illegal. The other law requires student athletes from kindergarten through college to play on teams that align with their assigned sex at birth. These laws are set to expire in 2027.
Governor Parson, a Republican, stated that the state was taking a stand against what he called “nonsense” and expressed support for women and girls who have fought for equal opportunities. He argued that the bill’s purpose was to protect children from making irreversible decisions that they might regret in adulthood.
LGBTQ+ advocates have filed a lawsuit against the healthcare law, but a judge allowed it to take effect while the legal challenge unfolds. Under the new law, physicians are prohibited from providing sex reassignment health care to minors, although youth who were already receiving treatments before Monday were allowed to continue. The care remains available for adults, but Medicaid no longer covers it.
Planned Parenthood clinics in the state reportedly prepared for the new law by organizing pop-up clinics and offering more appointments to start patients on treatments. Violation of the law could result in the revocation of a physician’s license and potential lawsuits from patients.
The healthcare law is being challenged in court by the ACLU of Missouri, Lambda Legal, and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner on behalf of physicians, LGBTQ+ organizations, and three families of transgender minors. The plaintiffs argue that the law is discriminatory and have requested a temporary block while the case progresses. However, a St. Louis judge ruled last week that the law could remain in effect during the legal challenge.
Regarding sports, the law signed by Governor Parson requires individuals assigned as a boy or girl at birth to play on teams aligned with their assigned sex. This applies to athletes in K-12 and college sports. While boys and men are not allowed to play on female teams unless there isn’t a corresponding program for them, girls and women can participate on teams of the opposite sex in such situations. The state education department is responsible for creating rules to enforce this law.
Schools that violate the new law may risk losing all state funding.
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