Operating On Healthy Bodies Defies Surgical Ethics, And Trans People Are No Exception
Surgical removal of healthy organs is not a treatment for mental illness. Gender dysphoria should be treated with psychiatric therapy.
Arkansas Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson went on "Tucker Carlson Tonight" Tuesday evening to defend his veto of a bill that would ban sex-change hormone prescriptions or mutilating surgery for minors.
During the contentious interview with a confrontational Tucker Carlson on Fox News, the governor attempted to portray his position as principled limited-government conservatism, arguing that elected representatives "do not necessarily make the right judgements" for people compared to credentialed doctors or counselors who may support sex-reassignment for transgender youths.
"Do you want to listen to the medical profession? Do you want to listen to professional counselors? Do you want to listen to parents?" Hutchinson asked rhetorically. "Or do you want to leave all these decision to the legislators that come from all different kinds of backgrounds — yes, they are elected to represent you, but they do not necessarily make the right judgements for parents and for doctors in the most sensitive issues."
On Tuesday, the Arkansas legislature overrode Hutchinson's veto of a bill banning transgender surgeries, hormone prescriptions, and puberty blockers for people under age 18, becoming the first state in the nation to enact such a ban into law. The new law also prevents transgender individuals under age 18 from being referred to other medical providers for so-called gender-affirming treatment. Governor Hutchinson, who has an indisputable pro-life record in Arkansas, surprised and angered many social conservatives including Carlson with his veto.
"I think of you as a conservative. Here you have come out publicly as pro-choice on the question of chemical castration of children. What changed?" Carlson asked at the opening of the interview.
Hutchinson retorted that Carlson did not accurately represent the bill, which he called "over-broad" and "extreme."
"If this had been a bill that simply prohibited chemical castration, I would have signed the bill," said Hutchinson.
He added that he also would have signed a bill that was limited to banning sex-reassignment surgery for minors, though no such surgeries are currently performed in Arkansas.
"This is the first law in the nation that invokes the state between medical decisions, parents who consent to that and the decision of the patient. And so, this goes way too far. And in fact, it doesn't even have a grandfather clause that those young people that are under hormonal treatment," Hutchinson argued, noting that there are fewer than 200 minors in Arkansas currently receiving hormone treatments.
The governor said he consulted with doctors and transgender people as well as faith leaders before coming to his decision to veto the legislation. Noting that gender-dysphoric kids are at higher risk for depression and suicide, Hutchinson said, "I don't think we should deny them health care."
Carlson countered by citing preliminary research from the U.K. that, while not conclusive, found that minors who took puberty blockers later reported attempting self-harm or suicide at higher rates.
"Why is that responsible medicine, to do that to children? Why would you support something like that?" Carlson asked.
In response, Hutchinson referred Carlson to the American Academy of Pediatrics and to physicians who opposed the bill, citing their arguments that denying social gender transition or hormone blocking agents to transgender youth could "endanger these young people even further."
He also argued that conservatives should embrace a limited role for government in medical decisions.
"Let me emphasize, Tucker. You are a conservative, you have a great background in that. Where are we getting back to the limited role of government, that we don't have to invoke ourselves in every societal position out there? Let's limit the role of government, let's let parents and doctors make decisions," he said.
To which Carlson replied, "Then why don't we allow 18-year-olds to drink beer in Arkansas? Why don't we allow them to get tattoos? Why don't we allow 15-year-olds to get married?"
He continued: "You vetoed a bill that would've protected children — not adults, children, to whom a different standard applies — from a life-altering, permanent procedure that has effects we can only guess at. ... They're not old enough to have sex, but they're old enough to be chemically castrated? How does that work exactly?"
In answer, Hutchinson made the argument that elected representatives lack the medical expertise to make the right judgement for parents and doctors.
"Then why are we regulating the behavior of children at all!?" exclaimed Carlson.
"Whether it's beer for minors, these are all issues that you have to address [in] the legislature, you make judgement calls on it," Hutchinson responded. "But we also try to restrain ourselves, as conservatives, so that we don't have to be involved in every issue. And if you want to broaden the party, if you want to get back to the principles, then let's at least think through — in a reasoned way — as to whether this is the right bill to interfere with parents and doctors' decisions on a health care matter."
Transgender surgery for active military personnel and veterans will be paid for by American taxpayers thanks to an executive order signed by President Joe Biden.
Biden signed the executive order — "Enabling All Qualified Americans to Serve Their Country in Uniform" — on Jan. 25, which repeals an Obama-era policy that banned federally funded gender reassignment surgery, according to the Washington Examiner.
Biden's order states that the military "thrives when it is composed of diverse Americans who can meet the rigorous standards for military service, and an inclusive military strengthens our national security."
"It is my conviction as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces that gender identity should not be a bar to military service," Biden declared. "Moreover, there is substantial evidence that allowing transgender individuals to serve in the military does not have any meaningful negative impact on the Armed Forces."
Recent Department of Defense memos confirm free gender reassignment surgery would be added to the military benefits package.
"This revised policy will also ensure all medically-necessary transition related care authorized by law is available to all Service members," Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin wrote.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough sent an order to VA employees, saying, "Perform an assessment of the necessary steps to eliminate the exclusion of 'gender alteration' (gender affirmation surgery) in the medical benefits package."
In February, McDonough ordered a top-down review of department policies to ensure the VA was complying with Biden's executive order against any discrimination against transgender service members.
"My goal as secretary is to make sure VA is welcoming to all veterans, including our transgender veterans," McDonough said.
TRICARE, the military's health insurance provider, lists hormone replacement therapy and psychotherapy for gender dysphoria as "covered services."
"TRICARE generally doesn't cover surgery for gender dysphoria," the health care provider states on its website. "However, active duty service members may request a waiver if their provider deems surgery medically necessary."
A 2019 report from USA Today revealed that the "Pentagon has spent nearly $8 million to treat more than 1,500 transgender troops since 2016, including 161 surgical procedures." The investigation stated that "1,071 service members have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Public Health Service on active duty and in the reserve force."
Gender reassignment surgery can cost more than $100,000.
A 2017 report found there are more than 134,000 veterans and 15,000 service members who identify as transgender.
Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), who is an Iraq War veteran and sits on the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, supports transgender individuals serving in the military, but disputes American taxpayers funding sex-change surgeries.
"This is radical and new territory for a presidential administration to force taxpayers to fund sexual reassignment surgeries for those in the military," Banks told the Examiner. "I'm compassionate toward those individuals who want to undergo an elective surgery of this nature, but taxpayers shouldn't be on the hook to pay for it. It's constitutionally dubious that Congress hasn't passed these measures, but the administration, in a radical way, is pushing through this agenda. I sit on the committee that should debate these issues."