Gender Justice applauds the passage of the Trans Refuge Bill by the Minnesota House of Representatives

Gender Justice applauds the passage of the Trans Refuge Bill (HF 146) by the Minnesota House of Representatives this morning. This bill protects families seeking gender-affirming care in Minnesota from adverse child custody determinations by states that forbid such care, and protects health care providers from out-of-state litigation or being forced to participate in anti-trans child custody proceedings.

Over the past few years, states such as Texas and Florida have introduced legislation targeting trans people, including efforts seeking to restrict and criminalize life-saving gender-affirming care. This has created a frightening landscape for trans individuals and their families, and has deeply impacted the mental health of vulnerable trans youth. As bills seeking to ban gender-affirming care for youth advance in neighboring states like Iowa, North Dakota, and South Dakota, HF 146 will make Minnesota a refuge for families across our region and our nation as they seek to get the life-saving care their children need.

“The protections outlined in HF 146 are vital for health care providers, who can continue to provide gender affirming health care to their patients consistent with best practices, without fear of interference or punishment from other states,” said Jess Braverman, Legal Director for Gender Justice. “Parents are being forced to make an impossible decision, between staying in their homes and risking their child’s health and safety, or uprooting their lives and relocating, often at great personal cost. We can do our part to help by making it clear that if families move to Minnesota, they and their children will be protected under the law.” 

HF 146/SF 63 is still moving in the Senate. Gender Justice is confident that the bill will advance from there and ultimately be signed into law by Gov. Tim Walz, ensuring that Minnesota lives up to its commitment to personal liberty, bodily autonomy and state sovereignty, while preventing other states from interfering with loving families seeking life-saving care for their kids.

For more information contact:

Erin Hart [email protected]

March 24, 2023