Most Americans Support Banning Transgender Surgeries on Minors

As a number of states push to prohibit children from undergoing transgender surgeries, a new study shows a majority of Americans support blocking minors from receiving such treatments.

The Rasmussen Reports survey of 900 likely U.S. voters found 58% of respondents at least somewhat approve of “legislation making it illegal to perform sex-change surgery on minors,” with nearly half (48%) stating they “strongly approve” of the legislative proposals.

Broken down along party lines, the survey showed support for laws banning transgender-related procedures on minors is strongest among Republicans (72%), followed by independents (61%), and Democrats (45%). An additional 45% of Democrats oppose the age-restrictive laws.

Although slightly fewer support laws prohibiting “hormone replacement therapy” for minors, still a slight majority (53%) are at least somewhat supportive of blocking children from receiving such treatments. Sixty-three percent of Republicans and 41% of Democrats support blocking minors’ access to hormone therapies.

The results of the Rasmussen survey comes just days after South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) signed the state’s “Help Not Harm” bill into law, as CBN News reported. The legislation prohibits minors from undergoing transgender treatments — such as hormone therapies — and body-altering and irreversible surgeries. Before Noem’s signature, the bill passed the state legislature by a 30-4 vote.

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“South Dakota’s kids are our future,” Noem said in a statement. “With this legislation, we are protecting kids from harmful, permanent medical procedures. I will always stand up for the next generation of South Dakotans.”

Other states whose lawmakers have implemented similar laws include Florida, Alabama, Arizona, and Arkansas, while Utah legislators approved a bill earlier this year to ban body-altering surgeries on minors confused about their sexuality. However, the law left the door open for hormone therapies for minors in some situations.

Last year, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) issued an opinion describing transgender-related surgeries on minors as “child abuse.” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said his administration would enforce Paxton’s legal opinion.