Republican senators in Texas have introduced draft legislation that equates gender-affirming healthcare with female genital mutilation (FGM) in an attempt to criminalise healthcare for trans and gender-diverse youth.
Bill SB249 amends the state’s health and safety code, modifying the felony of “female genital mutilation” for a person under 18 to just “genital mutilation” – by removing the word “female” and the specific language that defines this practice.
Senators Bob Hall, Donna Campbell and Charles Perry have replaced this definition with detailed descriptions of transition-related surgical procedures, conflating sex-reassignment treatments and FGM. The draft bill criminalises these procedures, with up to two years in jail and a maximum fine of $10,000.
