Some of you are probably assuming there was a typo in the title of this article because when was the last time you saw a Democrat being critical of the current debate over “transgender kids?” But it’s true. A Democratic state legislator from South Caroline, Representative Cezar McKnight, has introduced a bill that would make it illegal for doctors to perform irreversible transgender surgery on children or to administer dangerous puberty-blocking drugs to them. The bill immediately drew significant support from Republican legislators. This long-overdue measure may end up being challenged, setting the stage for the courts to finally address these questions. (Washington Examiner)

A South Carolina lawmaker has introduced legislation banning minors from undergoing sex reassignment surgery and from receiving medications that delay puberty or help alter gender.

The bill, the South Carolina Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act, was introduced by Democratic state Rep. Cezar McKnight and would mean potential felony charges against doctors who perform the surgery on minors or provide the related drugs, according to WLOS News 13.

McKnight, who was joined on the bill by 23 Republicans, said he has received strong support from his constituents, many of whom have told him they may support sex reassignment surgery, but only if the patient is an adult.

The GOP controls both houses of the South Carolina legislature and Governor Henry McMaster is also a Republican, so there’s a fair chance that this bill will make it into law, potentially with even more bipartisan support from Democrats other than just McKnight. The Democrat, who is Black, explained that “Black Democrats tend to be more conservative than white progressives.” A similar bill was recently approved in the Alabama state senate.

Nothing in this legislation would prevent adults from seeking “gender reassignment” surgery or other treatments dealing with gender dysphoria. The bill’s author described conversations he’s had with constituents who are supportive of people’s rights to seek such an operation, but who insist they need to “wait until they’re 18.”

This should be common sense, though the state Democratic Party immediately passed a resolution condemning the bill. Children are not capable of providing informed consent for such things and prepubescent children in particular really are in no position to make decisions about sexuality before their bodies have even finished developing. If a child is confused about gender or under the influence of parents or peers who push such confusion, they could find themselves being surgically mutilated in a way that can never be fully reversed for the rest of their lives.

The bill would also prohibit the prescription of puberty-blocking drugs such as Supprelin to children for the purpose of gender transition. As we’ve discussed here in the past, those drugs have never been approved by the FDA for the treatment of gender dysphoria. They are intended to be used for children suffering from precocious puberty (early-onset puberty) which can lead to abnormal bone growth and other serious health issues in adolescents and teenagers.

When doctors approve such surgery or drug therapy to confused children, it’s not a case of “medical treatment.” It’s malpractice, and it should rightly be considered criminal malpractice at that. And parents who support these irreversible measures in their own offspring are promoting child abuse. What we really need is a federal law covering such situations, but with the Democrats in charge, that’s unlikely to happen. Still, if more states begin passing these laws and they are challenged in the courts, perhaps we could eventually get the Supreme Court to weigh in on the question and slam the brakes on this dangerous lunacy.