Minnesota moves to strengthen status as 'trans refuge state'
Minnesota is moving to strengthen the state’s protections for children and their families who come for gender-affirming care by making itself a “trans refuge state,” bucking a national backlash against transgender rights
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota House was moving Thursday toward strengthening the state's protections for children and their families who come for gender-affirming care by making Minnesota a “trans refuge state,” bucking a national backlash against transgender rights.
Democratic Gov. Tim Walz signed an executive order two weeks ago to protect the rights of people from Minnesota and other states to receive gender-affirming health care in the state. The bill on which the House was slated to begin debate Thursday night covers much of the same ground, but supporters said a statute would provide stronger, more permanent protections. Passage was expected.
The chief author of the House bill is Democratic Rep. Leigh Finke, of St. Paul, the state's first openly transgender legislator. She was named Woman of the Year for Minnesota by USA Today on Sunday for her activism on behalf of trans youth. Her bill is meant to protect trans people, families and care providers from a range of legal repercussions for traveling to Minnesota for gender-affirming care.
“Gender-affirming care is lifesaving health care," Finke said at a news conference before the debate. "Withholding or delaying gender-affirming care can have a dramatic impact on the mental health of any individual who needs it. Rates of depression, suicide, substance abuse are dramatically higher in transgender and gender-expansive individuals who lack access to care.”
