Puerto Rico’s law criminalizes hormonal therapy and gender statement surgery for transgender people under 21 years old

The governor of Puerto Rico has signed a bill that prohibits hormonal therapy or surgeries that affirm the genre for transgender young people, a movement that has generated strong criticisms of activists in the territory of the United States to a large extent conservatives. Puerto Rican governor Jennifer González approved the law on Wednesday night, after a wave of similar legislation in the United States

The law applies to people under 21 and asks for 15 years in prison for any offender, as well as a fine of $ 50,000 and the revocation of all licenses and permits of medical staff.

“The minors, who have not yet achieved the necessary emotional, cognitive and physical maturity are particularly vulnerable to making decisions that may have irreversible consequences,” says the law. “Therefore, it is the duty of the State to guarantee its integral well -being.”

It also establishes that public funds cannot be used for such purposes.

The LGBTQ+ Federation of Puerto Rico criticized the law in a statement on Thursday.

“There is no doubt: we will go to court to challenge the constitutionality of the cruel and inhuman firm of the governor of a law that penalizes health professionals for caring for trans minors,” said Justin Jesús Santiago, director of the Federation.

Puerto Rico associations representing doctors, surgeons, psychologists, social workers, lawyers and other professionals had urged the governor to veto the bill.

Approximately two dozen US states have similar laws. The Supreme Court recently confirmed one of those laws of Tennessee, which restricts the attention affirmed by the genre for transgender minors, in a decision that is expected to significantly affect medical care for transgender young people in the middle of the country.

Glaad, a non -profit organization focused on the defense of LGBTQ rights and media monitoring, was among the critics that had urged González to veto the bill after the legislatures of Puerto Rico went through. In a statement published together with the LGBTQ+ Federation earlier this month, the organization said such restrictions “would create unbearable charges for the most marginalized in Puerto Rico.”

• Health
• LGBTQ+
• Puerto Rico