WASHINGTON: The US House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a Republican-backed bill seeking to ban gender-affirming medical care for minors, a move that would make several related procedures a federal crime. The legislation was approved by a narrow 216–211 vote and now heads to the Senate, where its prospects remain unclear.
Sponsored by Republican lawmaker
Marjorie Taylor Greene, the bill outlaws what it describes as “genital or bodily mutilation of a minor.” While the measure explicitly criminalises female genital mutilation, it also broadly targets medical procedures intended to alter a minor’s body “to correspond to a sex that differs from their biological sex.” This language would effectively prohibit gender-affirming care for transgender children at a national level.
The bill also places restrictions on certain pharmacological treatments, including the use of puberty blockers. Under its provisions, individuals who perform or facilitate banned procedures could face up to
10 years in prison, along with financial penalties.
“This important bill will criminalise gender-affirming care on minors — not adults — on minors who have not yet grown up to make adult decisions,” Greene said ahead of the vote. She described the legislation as “a direct reflection of President Trump’s executive order and every single Republican’s campaign promise in 2024.”
While many US states have already enacted restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors, passage of this bill would establish a nationwide prohibition.
Former president
Donald Trump made opposition to transgender-related policies a central theme of his 2024 campaign and moved early in his second term to reverse measures recognising diverse gender identities. His administration has also sought to bar transgender individuals from military service and reduce federal funding for schools that allow transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports.
Democrats strongly criticised the bill.
Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender person elected to Congress, condemned the measure as politically motivated. “All Republican politicians care about is making the rich richer and attacking trans people,” the Delaware lawmaker said outside the Capitol.
Transgender rights organisation
Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE) also denounced the legislation, arguing that it undermines bodily autonomy. The group said the bill “attempts to strip both transgender and intersex people of their freedom to make decisions about their own bodies,” while continuing to allow certain non-consensual surgeries on intersex children.
“The bill is not about protecting children — it is about enforcing outdated ideas of sex and gender through coercion and violence,” said
Sinead Murano-Kinney, a health policy analyst with A4TE.
As the bill moves to the Senate, it is expected to face significant resistance, with its passage far from guaranteed.
