South Carolina Lawmakers Approve Anti-Trans Health Care Provision

metroweekly.com:

continuing to hammer out compromises between the House and Senate versions of the budget this week.During last week’s negotiations, the conference committee adopted a provision that prohibits state funds allocated to the Pediatric Transgender Clinic at the Medical University of South Carolina from being used to pay for transgender-affirming health care procedures for people under the age of 16.

The provision does not prevent the clinic from providing medically necessary treatment so long as it is unrelated to gender transition, and does not prevent the clinic from offering mental health services to transgender youth.The adoption of the provision comes just a month after Gov.

Henry McMaster signed a bill barring transgender athletes from competing on sports teams that match their gender identity. Lawmakers previously passed another bill, which would grant medical providers and insurance companies the right to refuse to provide any treatments that would violate their religious, moral, ethical, or philosophical beliefs.

McMaster is expected to sign that bill into law in the coming weeks.“South Carolina lawmakers again chose to pick on transgender youth, this time by trying to insert politics into decisions that should be between transgender young people, their guardians, and their medical providers,” Melissa Moore, a leader in the SC United for Justice & Equality coalition and the Lowcountry manager for WREN: Women’s Rights & Empowerment Network, said in a statement. “We condemn this attack and send a message of love and support to every transgender person in our state,” Moore added. “It is important to note that this proviso does not prohibit transgender youth in South Carolina from accessing trans-affirming care — trans.