Lambda Legal Applauds Arkansas Governor’s Veto of Youth Medical Care Ban

Today, Governor Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas vetoed House Bill 1570, a bill seeking to ban access to gender-affirming health care for transgender youth. If allowed to become law, the bill would criminalize health care providers who help transgender young people access critical care. Lawmakers in several other states are considering similar bills.

Lambda Legal CEO Kevin Jennings issued the following statement:

“Bills like Arkansas’ House Bill 1570 are rooted in animus and ignorance about what it means to be transgender. They disregard medical science, standards of treatment for transgender youth, and basic human dignity.

“Transgender people, including children and young people, are who they say they are and deserve respectand the same opportunities as others to live happy and fulfilling lives. We hope that other states considering similar dangerous bills heed Governor Hutchinson’s example and reject wholeheartedly any attempt to single out and hurt transgender children.”