BOISE, Idaho — Late Tuesday night, Gov. Brad Little announced that he had signed House Bill 71 into law. The bill would criminalize doctors who provided gender-affirming care to minors, regardless of parents' decisions.
Specifically, the bill outlaws puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and transition-related surgeries for minors, with the penalty being felony charges subject to up to ten years in jail. It is important to note that, according to the Idaho chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, no Idaho doctors had been performing these surgeries in the state, but forms of reversible care like puberty blockers and hormone therapy have been used.
"In signing this bill, I recognize our society plays a role in protecting minors from surgeries or treatments that can irreversibly damage their healthy bodies," Little said in a letter after signing the bill. "However, as policymakers, we should take great caution whenever we consider allowing the government to interfere with loving parents and their decisions about what is best for their children."
Boise's Mayor, Lauren McLean responded via Twitter, Wednesday morning expressing opposition to the governor's decision.
My heart breaks today for every loving parent of a trans child, every doctor who strives to offer life-saving affirming care, and every child in our community targeted by H71.
— Mayor Lauren McLean (@boisemayor) April 5, 2023
"My heart breaks today for every loving parent of a trans child, every doctor who strives to offer life-saving affirming care, and every child in our community targeted by H71," McLean said in one tweet. "H71 is the heavy hand of the government coming between parents who deeply care and doctors trained to help, and it puts our most vulnerable kids at even greater risk."
In February, activist Chloe Cole spoke in Idaho to express her support for this bill. She identified as transgender as a teenager and had gender-affirming surgery while she lived in California. She now wishes she hadn't and campaigns for restrictions to gender-affirming care for minors around the country.
She sat down with Idaho News 6 while she was in Idaho.
“No kid is equipped to make a decision like this and it’s something that should definitely be waited on," Cole said. “A part of what went wrong with me was that I wasn’t fully developed when I went through the process.”
It is important to note that situations like these are less likely to happen in Idaho given no doctors have performed those surgeries.
One Idaho mother was angered by the news of the governor's decision. Shauna Jones' son is transgender and received gender-affirming care as a minor. She believes it prevented him from taking his own life.
“There was a time in high school when we didn’t know if he’d survive," Jones told Idaho News 6. “And getting him gender-affirming care absolutely saved his life."
She fears what could happen to some transgender youth because of this bill.
Another layer is the criminalization of doctors because of this bill. A bill, which the Idaho AAP tells Idaho News 6, that many doctors in the state opposed.
Jessie Duvall, M.D. is the legislative liaison for the Idaho AAP. She tells Idaho News 6, via text, that the organization collected over 650 signatures from Idaho physicians and medical students concerned with the legislation and petitioned Little to veto the Bill.
Idaho has one of the lowest numbers of pediatricians per 100,000 kids, with only about 40.
Duvall says this will just hurt that number.
“We’re going to see more physicians leave in the coming years because they’re afraid of going to jail for practicing medicine for following well-established standards of care," said Duvall.
