Yesterday, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice signed HB 2007, legislation addressing the issue of sex-change procedures, including drugs and surgeries, being offered to minors.

Although the bill purported to restrict these procedures, it allows for the continued prescription of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to minors as long as two medical professionals and the minors’ parents consent to their necessity.

In response, Terry Schilling, president of American Principles Project (APP), released the following statement:

“The use of hormone-altering drugs and surgeries to ‘treat’ gender dysphoria is egregious medical malpractice. Despite what the activist-led, pharmaceutical-funded medical groups may say, there is virtually no evidence these therapies provide any long-term benefit, while there is much evidence they do harm. That’s why a growing number of countries, including Sweden, Finland, the U.K., and Norway, are now taking steps to restrict these practices for children.

“West Virginia legislators could, and should, have joined with numerous other states in banning sex changes on minors outright. Instead, Republican lawmakers added a loophole to the bill that renders it essentially toothless, while implicitly accepting the false premise that dangerous, sterilizing drugs are in fact a legitimate treatment for a child’s psychological distress. While we appreciate that the legislature was attempting to address this issue, we cannot in good conscience endorse their end product given this severe flaw.

“If lawmakers really do wish to protect the children of their state, they should immediately work to fix this bill to ensure that sex changes on minors cannot be facilitated for any reason, period. West Virginia families should be satisfied with nothing less.”

To schedule an engagement with American Principles Project, contact Paul Dupont at (o) 202-503-2010 or pdupont@americanprinciplesproject.org.