Missouri gov signs bills banning gender surgeries and hormones for minors: 'We must protect children'

Missouri Governor Mike Parson has officially signed two bills into law that have banned males from participating in females' sports at educational institutions and banned gender-transition surgeries and hormones for minors.

"Today, in an effort to protect the integrity of female sports and Missouri children from potentially harmful experimental surgeries and treatment, Governor Mike Parson signed Senate Bill (SB) 39 and SB 49 into law," the governor's office said in a press release.

The governor's signature comes approximately a month after Missouri lawmakers passed the bills that include the Missouri Save Adolescents from Experimentation Act.

Missouri's SB39 prohibits educational institutions from allowing biological male students to participate on sports teams designated for biological females. The law is therefore applied to elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education institutions. Private schools, public school districts, and both public and private colleges and universities must follow the new rules.

"Women and girls deserve fair sports competition without intrusion from biological men," the governor stated. "Women and girls deserve and have fought for an equal opportunity to succeed, and with this legislation today, we stand up to the nonsense and stand with them as they take back their sport competitions. In Missouri, we support real fairness, not injustice disguised as social righteousness," he added.

Any of the school types listed in the bill "shall not receive any state aid or other revenues from the state" if they are found to be in violation of the law.

As for SB49, that bill has banned health care providers from performing gender-transition surgeries, prescribing hormones, or prescribing any gender transition drugs to those under the age of 18.

"We support everyone's right to his or her own pursuit of happiness; however, we must protect children from making life-altering decisions that they could come to regret in adulthood once they have physically and emotionally matured," the governor said of SB49.

"These decisions have permanent consequences for life and should not be made by impressionable children who may be in crisis or influenced by the political persuasions of others," Parson continued.

Violators of SB49 will have their health care provider license revoked.

The governor's office also noted that the bills prevent taxpayer dollars from going toward "elective gender transition procedures."

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