A Texas state representative has introduced a bill that would extend the state’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth to include adults.
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House Bill 3399, authored by Republican Rep. Brent Money, “would simply replace ‘child’ in the specific state law with ‘person,’” therefore including adults, TV station KXAN reports. He introduced it last Wednesday.
It would prohibit surgery, puberty blockers, and hormone treatment for the purpose of gender transition. These treatments would remain allowed for nontrans people with early-onset puberty or an anomaly of sex development. Those already on puberty blockers or other hormonal treatment would have to wean off it — in practice, detransitioning.
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill banning gender-affirming care for trans youth into law in June 2023. Last year, the Texas Supreme Court refused to block the ban’s enforcement while a lawsuit against it proceeds. Texas is the most populous state with such a law, and it has the second-largest trans population of any state.
“I want to make it clear that my heart goes out to those struggling with gender dysphoria,” Money said in a statement, as reported by KXAN. “These individuals deserve compassion, support, and real solutions to address their pain — not irreversible procedures that leave them scarred for life. This legislation isn’t about judgment; it’s about accountability. It targets the doctors and medical profiteers who exploit vulnerable people, pushing costly surgeries and lifetime pharmaceuticals for financial gain rather than offering genuine care.”
Money, a first-term representative from northeastern Texas, did not say what he considers “genuine care.” But his campaign website mentions “faith, family, and service to a cause higher than ourselves” and “protecting the innocence and lives of children.” He has also introduced an anti-abortion bill that defines life as beginning at fertilization. He was endorsed by Donald Trump.
“The bill has long odds to pass this session,” KXAN notes. The legislature has a brief time to consider a huge number of bills — 3,503 so far in the Texas House and 1,793 in the Senate. In its last session, the House passed 1,578 bills. The session ends June 2.
Still, the legislation is worrisome for the trans community. “It is a part of the larger effort” by anti-trans forces, Imara Jones, founder of TransLash Media, told KXAN. “I think that they’ve had tremendous success with targeting trans kids,and have seen that go better than they thought. So, of course, they would move on to trans adults.”
“This is effectively an outright ban on trans health care,” lawyer Callie Butcher told The Dallas Morning News. “Looking at the bill’s author and where we are, I don’t think it’s going to pass this session. That being said, I don’t think it’s something that we should ignore. I think it should set off alarm bells for a lot of people, especially allies or those who have been saying this is only restricted to kids.”
Some trans Texans plan to move out of state. “I think a lot about the old Davy Crockett quote … ‘You may all go to hell, but I will go to Texas,’” a woman identified only by her first name, Britney, told KXAN. “There was this feeling of Texans being about personal freedoms, safety, the wide-open range, and being able to live your life. This is the first time that I’m really looking at the state that I grew up in as a place hostile towards me, as some place that is not for freedom for every person, that is not for the acceptance and authenticity of any person to live how they want.”
The bill is also far from the only anti-LGBTQ+ legislation pending in Texas, but activists are determined to fight. “HB 3399 is a clear affront to Texans’ right to access health care,” Johnathan Gooch, communications director for Equality Texas, told The Advocate. “The Texas legislature should not decide which types of health care are allowed in Texas. This bill is one in a sea of anti-LGBTQIA+ bills that have been filed during the legislative session already. Last session over 11,000 bills were filed and fewer than 800 were signed into law. We’re keeping tabs on all bills that impact the LGBTQIA+ community in Texas, and we’re doing everything we can to stop them all.”
