I am disappointed but unsurprised after reading Rep. Krohmer’s last column, in which he discusses his reasons for voting for HB 1080. His choice of words in banning puberty blockers “to protect children from … [being] encouraged to change their gender” shows what a place of ignorance Krohmer is coming from. I can understand the fear of allowing minors to undergo transition surgery because, like any surgery, there’s risk, and it’s an irreversible step. (Though, we seem to have no problem with the surgical removal of healthy tissue when it comes to things like circumcision, nor do we take issue changing a child’s sex when they are born intersex.) However, to ban puberty blockers so that someone, minor or no, can’t choose to be transgender is the same mentality as those who think people choose to be gay. It’s not a choice.

Gender dysphoria, described as significant distress or impairment related to gender incongruence, is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. It, like COVID, is real, whether you want to believe it or not. I can’t speak for the people Krohmer mentioned, who claim to have transitioned and then detransitioned, but there are far more trans people who needed and are satisfied with their treatment. According to a 2021 article looking at 27 studies of regret after gender-affirmation surgeries, the percentage of 7,928 trans people who regretted transitioning was less than one percent.

If you’re still concerned after seeing those numbers, there is still no excuse for putting puberty blockers on this bill. According to Mayo Clinic’s website, puberty blockers can be stopped at any time should the adolescent and medical professional deem that the minor isn’t truly trans, and puberty will continue as normal. 

Without any sort of gender-affirming care, trans adolescents can turn to self-harm or even suicide. So, by disallowing treatment, can you truly say you care about these children?