Most Missourians oppose transgender care for minors as court battle begins over ban: Poll

A majority of Missouri voters don’t support gender transition medical care for transgender youth amid a court battle this week involving families of transgender minors and LGBT organizations who are suing to block the state’s ban.

As shown in the responses from hundreds of Missourians, 73% of probable voters oppose minors receiving transgender surgeries, according to the latest St. Louis University/YouGov poll. Another 63% are against hormone therapy or medication that blocks the effects of puberty.

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Almost all Missouri Republicans are behind the effort to ban procedures and treatments for transgender youth — 90% of voters say youth should not have those options.

“Missourians indisputably favor restricting gender transition medical care for minors,” said Steve Rogers, the poll’s director and a political scientist at SLU. “But they do not completely oppose gender-affirming care for minors. Forty-four percent of voters favored, and 44% of voters opposed minors being able to receive gender-affirming counseling.”

Missouri is one of around two dozen states that has passed a ban on transgender medical care for children and teenagers.

Missouri’s Republican-led legislature passed a bill making it illegal for healthcare providers to perform gender transition surgeries and prescribe hormone treatments for minors, and Gov. Mike Parson (R-MO) signed the ban into law in early June.

The law, known as the “Missouri Save Adolescents from Experimentation Act,” is set to go into effect on Aug. 28. Shortly after the passage, the ACLU of Missouri, other advocacy groups, and three families of transgender children filed a lawsuit against the state to stop the ban from taking effect.

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Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey has sharply defended the bill. Bailey is a staunch advocate of barring transgender medical care from minors and adults. In April, Bailey moved to use the state’s emergency rule to extend transgender restrictions to adults, but a judge blocked the sweeping move weeks later.

A court battle is underway this week on the looming Missouri law and whether or not it’s discriminatory against transgender children, and a county judge is expected to make a ruling before Monday.