Parents of transgender 11-year-old say they're leaving Missouri over laws that would prevent boy from playing girls' sports

Parents with children who believe they are the opposite gender said that they plan to leave Missouri after the state passed bans on sex changes, puberty blockers, and hormones for minors. The parents also said the laws would effect their children's ability to get gender transition-related health care or for their child to play sports with the children of the other gender.

Missouri's Senate Bill 49 established that "no health care provider shall perform gender transition surgeries on any minor ... no health care provider shall prescribe or administer cross-sex hormones or puberty-blocking drugs to a minor for a gender transition."

At the same time, Senate Bill 39 detailed that elementary schools through post-secondary schools are banned from letting males play in females' sports. Both bills are set to go into effect August 28, 2023, pending the governor's signature.

Parents including Sara Holuf spoke to local outlet KMOV4. Holuf stated that her family made plans to move their three children to Maryland. One of the children is an 11-year-old boy who the parents say revealed himself to be transgender at the age of 8.

“Our kids are devastated. They want to stay but they understand that they can’t,” said Holuf. “And she’s just a regular kid, she loves playing sports and being with her friends and going to school and fighting with her siblings,” the mother added.

The mother also expressed concerns that the boy presumably would not be able to participate in sports with females, stating, “I can’t live with myself and tell my child, sorry, you can’t play sports, we’d rather choose to live in Missouri instead of letting you live your fullest life as a kid."

Holuf provided images to the local outlet showing herself at what appeared to be a protest, holding a sign that read "you will not erase our kids."

Another mother, Jennifer Harris Dault, said that the legislation targeted her child and claimed that she has planned to move to New York. “Very few things passed at all through the legislature this year, and two of the things on their agenda were to target my kid,” she claimed.

One of Harris Dault's two children is an 8-year-old boy who has identified as a girl. The mother added that she considered staying in Missouri and visiting out-of-state doctors, but said that wouldn't work for the family.

"We don’t want to have to live day to day, wondering if she’ll have the health care she needs. Or what right will be taken away next. We want her to be able to live a happy, healthy, beautiful life,” said Harris Dault.

“It’s just really tragic it’s coming to this,” she added.

Despite her plans, Harris Dault reportedly started a GoFundMe page to accept donations to pay for her move and has yet to find a job or housing in New York.

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