Rock Bridge students protest against AG’s gender-affirming care restrictions

By Harrison Vapnek

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    COLUMBIA , Missouri (KOMU) — Rock Bridge students walked out of class on Wednesday in protest of recent regulations on gender-affirming care from Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey. Restrictions to hormone replacement therapy drugs (HRTs), such as puberty blockers and sex hormones, for both minors and adults start on Thursday.

“It’s something that we’ve known was coming for a long time,” Rock Bridge student River Stone said. “We’ve seen across the United States different anti-trans bills coming into effect. A lot of them the thing is — kids can’t make these decisions, but it’s no longer about kids, it’s about people of all ages in Missouri.”

The regulations say transgender individuals will be unable to access gender-affirming care unless the patient has no less than 15 separate hourly sessions (at least 10 of which must be with the same therapist) over the course 18 months or more.

Any previous and existing mental health conditions must be “treated and resolved” for a patient to receive gender-affirming care, as well as 15 years of documentation if there are negative effects from the treatment.

“It’s a choice that you get to make for yourself and your body and that is being stripped away for people that may need it for their mental health, for their physical safety despite their age and I think that’s outrageous,” Stone said.

Nearly 100 Rock Bridge students came out of class Tuesday. Dozens of those students gave speeches and shared personal experiences to speak out against the attorney general’s regulations.

“I just want to say to everybody thank you so much for coming out, supporting everybody and taking it upon yourself to use your voice,” Stone said. “Without our voices, people above us have all the power.”

According to NBC News, at least 13 other U.S states have passed laws or policies that restrict gender-affirming care for minors.

“I have all these plans in place once I turn 18 and was in a spot financially where I could transition and give myself some sort of health care,” Rock Bridge student and walk-out organizer Leilani Lynn said. “But now there’s so many restrictions, it’s looking less and less hopeful for trans people in Missouri.”

The attorney general says the emergency restrictions are intended to shield minors from “experimental medical treatments,” with the latest restrictions applying to adults as well.

“I believe it is a basic human right to afford and undergo life-saving treatment,” Lynn said.

The new legislation begins Thursday and will expire Feb. 6, 2024.

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