West Virginia lawmakers push to remove a suicide risk exemption from gender-affirming care bill

By LEAH WILLINGHAM
Associated Press

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Some Republican lawmakers in West Virginia want to ban transgender youth at risk for self-harm or suicide from accessing medical interventions such as hormone therapy. The GOP-controlled Legislature banned such interventions last year while allowing the self-harm and suicide exception. Now, a group of lawmakers want to eliminate that narrow definition, which requires parental consent and a diagnosis of severe gender dysphoria from two medical professionals. Coming up against a major legislative deadline next week, lawmakers in the House Health and Human Resources Committee voted Friday to advance a bill to the full chamber that would completely ban interventions like hormone therapy and puberty blockers.