Montana outlaws trans treatments for minors

Governor Greg Gianforte will sanction medical professionals who do not comply by suspending their license for one year.

Greg Gianforte, governor of Montana, signed into law a ban on puberty blockers, transgender hormones and sex change surgeries for minors. Treatments would only be allowed in cases of proven disorders and infection, injury or illness that was caused by other medical treatment. In the event that a healthcare professional or physician fails to comply with the regulations, the state will penalize him or her by withdrawing his or her license for one year.

The Montana Republican Party, which has a large majority in the state Capitol, introduced and passed the bill in the Senate. Days later, the House of Representatives voted in favor of the regulation.

As a result of their opposition to the legislation, a group of left-wing rioters stormed the Capitol in left-wing rioters stormed the Montana Capitol to protest the bill and to support Zooey Zephyr, a trans lawmaker for the Democratic Party. Zephyr was disapproved of for telling Republican congressmen that they have "blood on their hands" for banning trans treatments for minors during debate prior to a vote on the legislation in the state House of Representatives.

With Gianforte's signature, Montana joins the list of states that have banned sex changes for minors. These include North Dakota, Iowa, Georgia, Tennessee, South Dakota, Mississippi and Utah.