‘Trans Lives Matter’ activists occupy rotunda of Oklahoma Capitol

Transgender rights activists occupied the Oklahoma state Capitol’s rotunda on Monday to protest a push by Republicans to restrict so-called gender-affirming care within the state.

About 150 individuals, many holding indicators and banners, chanted “Trans lives matter” forward of a brand new legislative session by which GOP lawmakers had pre-filed payments geared toward curbing remedies like hormone substitute remedy, the Oklahoma Day by day reported.

One of many new proposals, Senate Invoice 129, would ban well being care professionals within the Sooner State from referring anybody underneath 26 for gender-affirming care, together with each surgical and non-surgical interventions.

The second invoice, Senate Invoice 252, goals to stop anybody underneath 18 from present process a intercourse change operation.

The payments are a part of a slew of current gender-related proposals within the state, together with one signed into regulation final 12 months by Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt that banned trans girls from competing in girls’s college sports activities.

In his State of the State handle on Monday, Stitt known as for a statewide ban on gender affirmation surgical procedures and different remedies for minors, the Oklahoma Day by day mentioned.

Trans rights activists advised the outlet Monday that the proposed laws was misguided, and would seemingly have lethal penalties for Oklahoma’s LGBTQIA+ neighborhood.

“Lawmakers concern the trans neighborhood as if trans individuals are coming for his or her youngsters, however in actuality, trans individuals simply wish to reside and thoughts their enterprise,” mentioned one demonstrator, recognized solely as Laine.

She additionally claimed that even limiting entry to non-surgical remedy can be dangerous.

“For lots of trans individuals, small issues like [hormone replacement therapy] simply assist trans individuals really feel extra like themselves,” she defined.

Different protesters claimed limiting entry to such sources threatens trans people’ psychological well being.

A current survey by the Trevor Undertaking discovered that 59% of trans males, 48% of trans girls and 53% of nonbinary individuals had thought-about suicide previously 12 months. Analysis by Columbia College, nevertheless, discovered that gender-affirming care persistently improved psychological well being outcomes for trans and nonbinary younger individuals.

“Working to ban HRT and different trans well being care is lively genocide,” Benjamin Patterson, a trans man, advised the Oklahoma Day by day.

“Folks is not going to survive to 26 to get that. For lots of us, it is without doubt one of the solely issues that may assist us really feel at dwelling in our physique.”