The Democratic governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, approved and signed the new laws to prohibit conversion therapies in the entity, as well as other regulations that will guarantee access to gender-affirming and reproductive health care.
Walz’s ratification comes after the entity’s legislators approved banning conversion therapies, which aim to change the gender of people in the LGBTIQ+ community.
Among the progressive regulations approved is to protect access to abortion and the human rights of trans people.
This has made Minnesota a sanctuary for those seeking care related to gender affirmation or abortion.
According to data from the Movement Advancement Project, 16 US states have passed laws or implemented public policies that prohibit gender-affirming therapies for transgender youth.
According to The Hill news portal, in three US states (including North Dakota, which borders Minnesota), administering gender-affirming care for a minor is a crime that can be punished with up to a decade in prison.
Walz took pride in the move, stating, via a message posted on Twitter, that in Minnesota “we protect rights, we don’t take them away.”
Minnesota is the 21st US state to ban conversion therapy for minors and vulnerable adults.
Conversion therapies have been condemned by multiple scientific health bodies, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychological Association, and the American Medical Association. Multiple surveys have found that those who have undergone conversion therapy have had higher levels of anxiety, depression and even suicide. This is how The Hill reviewed it.
“No child will be subjected to this byzantine, outdated and cruel practice of conversion therapy,” Governor Walz said.
Keep reading:
– Minnesota lawmakers ban conversion therapy for people in the LGBTIQ+ community
– Jesse and Joy lash out at conversion therapy
– Man sentenced to 22 years in prison for hate crime: he shot a teenager because of his sexual orientation