Gender Justice Applauds Passage of Bills Protecting Minnesotans’ Health, Rights & Safety

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 21, 2023

CONTACT
Gabbi Pierce, Communications Manager
[email protected]
651.789.2090

Today, the Minnesota Senate voted to pass three bills seeking to protect the health, rights and safety of people seeking health care as well as those who provide it. The Reproductive Freedom Defense Act, Trans Refuge Bill, and Conversion Therapy Ban send a clear message that Minnesota is a state that values the freedom to make personal decisions without political interference.

“The recent surge in political attacks on our basic rights to seek reproductive or gender-affirming health care, or simply to exist as LGBTQ people, is nothing short of a crisis,” said Gender Justice Executive Director Megan Peterson. “The moment demands that Minnesotans do everything we can to protect those who live here as well as those who come here seeking care, or refuge, or simply community. The three bills passed today in the Minnesota Senate make significant progress toward that goal. Taken together, they are an important reminder that we all deserve to be safe, to protect our health, and to have the opportunity to live our lives as we see fit.”

The Reproductive Freedom Defense Act creates strong protections for Minnesotans who provide abortion care – and those who help people access it – against criminal penalties imposed by other states. The Trans Refuge Bill and Conversion Therapy Ban both seek to protect trans and LGB kids and their families, and their ability to access gender-affirming care consistent with best practices, without fear of interference or punishment from other states.

Said Peterson, “We at Gender Justice are so proud to call Minnesota home, especially on a day like today, when our elected officials take a powerful stand to protect the health, rights and safety of our communities.”