While many parts of the USA are introducing laws to prevent people who are transgender from accessing health care and being legally recognised in their gender, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has declared his state will always offer support.
Governor Walz signed an executive order on Wednesday that allow people from Minnesota and those coming from other states to receive gender affirming health care. Walz slammed other states who are rolling back transgender rights.
“We want every Minnesotan to grow up feeling safe, valued, protected, celebrated, and free to exist as their authentic versions of themselves,” Walz said. “Protecting and supporting access to gender affirming health care is essential to being a welcoming and supportive state.” the Governor said.
Minnesota’s legislature is also considering a bill which would make their state a “refugee” state for people wanting to flee other jurisdictions that have brought in tough new laws. They are also in the process of banning conversion therapy practices in the state.
Walz signed his executive order surrounded by members of the local transgender community.
Walz is currently serving his second term as the state’s Governor having first been elected in 2019. In 2022 he was re-elected beating his Republican opponent Scott Jensen, who memorably claimed that there were students identifying as cats in Minesota’s classrooms.
In recent months the USA has seen a large number of bills rolling back transgender rights being introduced across the country.
In 2023 432 bills which have been described as anti-transgender’ have been submitted across the USA, so far 8 have been passed, 34 have failed and 390 remain active in different federal and state legislatures.
The number of bills seeking to limit transgender health care, access to bathrooms and legal recognition have been growing steadily over the last four years.
Website Translegislation.com which tracks the number and progress of bills has reported that while there were 141 bills introduced in 2020, with only 18 ultimately being successfully passed, the number of bills put forward within the first two months of 2023 has been significantly higher.
OIP Staff
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