Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has introduced legislation that would make it a felony to provide puberty blockers, hormones, or surgical sex change operations for minors.
The “Protect Children’s Innocence Act,” which currently has 11 Republican co-sponsors, could additionally prohibit using federal funds for sex change treatments.
It states that anyone who "knowingly performs any gender affirming care on a minor is guilty of a class C felony" carrying a penalty of 10 to 25 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
The person receiving the treatment will not be arrested or prosecuted under the proposed law. The Protect Children’s Innocence Act has been introduced.
Thanks to all of the original cosponsors.@RepMaryMiller@RepJeffDuncan@RepBobGood @RepRalphNorman@RepMattGaetz@RepTonyGonzales@RepClayHiggins@RepBurgessOwens@RepTenney@Rep_Clyde@RepHarshbarger@Lancegooden pic.twitter.com/8P69HlQMbP
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) August 19, 2022
The bill explains that the term 'gender affirming care' means, with respect to an individual, over a dozen procedures and treatments including castration, orchiectomy, scrotoplasty, vasectomy, hysterectomy, oophorectomy, ovariectomy, metoidioplasty, penectomy, vaginoplasty, vaginectomy, vulvoplasty, thyrochondroplasty, chondrolaryngoplasty, and mastectomy.
Many of these treatments permanently and irreversibly sterilize the patient. Under my Protect Children’s Innocence Act, anyone involved in acts of physical mutilation to minors under 18 will be guilty of a felony and can go to jail.
These procedures for profit permanently disfigure kids before they even know what they want to do when they grow up. https://t.co/Wxg7GP6Nur pic.twitter.com/LQ4hmkolnP
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) August 19, 2022
It also prohibits "any plastic surgery that feminizes or masculinizes the facial features," "any placement of chest implants to create feminine breasts," or "any placement of fat or artificial implants in the gluteal region," when they are done "for the purpose of changing the body of such individual to correspond to a sex that differs from their biological sex."
In addition to the surgical treatments, it also prohibits "administering, supplying, prescribing, dispensing, distributing, or otherwise conveying to an individual" a list of medications used for gender changes including puberty blockers, testosterone, and estrogen.
Under the legislation, people who had "gender affirming care" performed on them "may bring a civil action for appropriate relief, including compensatory and punitive damages, against each person who performed the gender affirming care."
Colleges and universities will also be prohibited from providing instruction on gender change care for minors.
Additionally, foreign doctors who have provided sex change operations or medications to minors will be barred from receiving visas or being admitted into the United States.
Appearing on Tucker Carlson Tonight on Thursday evening, Greene stated that "gender affirming care" is "an assault" and "child abuse." Tomorrow, I will introduce the Protect Children’s Innocence Act to criminalize the child abuse that many call “gender-affirming care.”
My legislation would immediately make it a felony to subject children to puberty blockers or horrific “sex change” genital surgeries. pic.twitter.com/1jAwb1TwXR
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) August 19, 2022
“When it comes to ‘gender-affirming care,’ which is really child abuse, this is actually an assault and it’s child abuse,” Greene said.
“This practice should never happen,” Greene continued. “It’s so disgusting and appalling … this needs to be illegal.”
The bill is co-sponsored by Republican Reps. Mary Miller, Jeff Duncan, Bob Good, Ralph Norman, Matt Gaetz, Tony Gonzales, Rep. Diana Harshbarger, Clay Higgins, Burgess Owens, Claudia Tenneyand Andrew Clyde.
Rep. Greene has said that Republican congressional candidates J.D. Vance and Blake Masters have also pledged to support the legislation if they are elected in November.
