Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) has introduced the Safeguarding the Overall Protection (STOP) of Minors Act, legislation designed to prohibit gender transition procedures for individuals under 18. The bill aims to prevent "gender mutilation" by barring the use of interstate commerce for performing, attempting, conspiring to perform, or referring minors for such procedures. Marshall strongly condemned these practices, characterizing them as "child abuse."
The proposed legislation would impose significant civil penalties, at least $100,000, on healthcare providers who offer gender transition services and treatments to minors. The bill also includes provisions to support individuals who have undergone transition procedures and wish to detransition.
Sen. Roger Marshall (Tom Williams/File)
Marshall anticipates collaborating with President Trump, who has expressed intentions to curtail "gender-affirming" care for minors. The senator emphasized the bill's focus on protecting children, stating it "keeps children's safety paramount by prohibiting anyone from performing, facilitating, or even conspiring to give these irreversible therapies and procedures to minors." He further declared this legislation as a first step in protecting children from what he terms a "twisted and criminal agenda."
(Pamela Garfield-Jaeger/File)
This legislative effort follows a panel discussion led by American Principles Project President Terry Schilling and several lawmakers, focusing on the increasing Republican legislative attention towards restricting gender transition procedures for minors. The introduction of the STOP Act also coincides with the Supreme Court's consideration of a Tennessee law banning puberty blockers for minors. A large group of lawmakers have filed an amicus brief supporting transgender youth in this case.
The U.S. Supreme Court (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/File)
