Kim Reynolds says Iowa ban on gender-affirming care is in the 'best interest of the kids'

Gov. Kim Reynolds said a bill that would ban gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth is about protecting kids from potential long-term effects.

Iowa lawmakers have passed a bill, Senate File 538, that would prohibit Iowa doctors from providing puberty blockers, hormone therapy or gender-affirming surgeries to a transgender person younger than 18. Reynolds has thanked the Legislature for passing that bill, indicating she intends to sign it.

The American Medical Association, American Psychological Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics all recommend providing transgender kids with gender-affirming care. Medical professionals told lawmakers last month that these treatments can be life-saving for transgender children.

Speaking at a news conference Tuesday, Reynolds said there's not enough long-term science to understand the impact the treatment can have on children.

"We need to just pause, we need to understand what these emerging therapies actually may potentially do to our kids," Reynolds told reporters at a news conference Tuesday. "My heart goes out to them. I’m a parent, I’m a grandmother, I know how difficult this is. This is an extremely uncomfortable position for me to be in. I don’t like it. But I have to do what I believe right now is in the best interest of the kids."

She pointed to other countries that have restricted the use of some types of gender-affirming care. She also likened the situation to the evolving science around COVID-19 transmission and mask-wearing, saying that the medical profession and the media "shut down any dissent" on that subject.

"I’m a little leery about heading down that path again when I believe that the science isn’t conclusive to support what we're potentially doing to our kids," she said. "These are irreversible."

LGBTQ civil rights and advocacy groups have condemned Iowa Republicans for passing the legislation, saying it will harm transgender kids in the state.

"Gender-affirming care is best practice, medically necessary care that is always delivered in an age-appropriate manner in consultation and with the consent of parents, transgender youth, and their doctors," Cathryn Oakley, senior legal counsel for the Human Rights Campaign, said in a March 8 statement. "Iowa legislators have no business telling parents that their children can’t access best practice care — that is, in many cases, lifesaving — that is supported by the entire mainstream American medical establishment."

Iowa doctors testified to lawmakers this year that puberty blockers are fully reversible, and cross-sex hormone therapy is partially reversible. Doctors told lawmakers that they do not perform genital surgery on transgender minors, and they remove breast tissue only in rare cases.

Also awaiting the governor's signature is Senate File 482, which would prohibit transgender kids or adults from using school bathrooms that don't align with their biological sex.

Kollin Crompton, a spokesperson for Reynolds, said the governor has met with some parents of transgender Iowans to speak about both pieces of legislation.

"My heart breaks," Reynolds said. "I’ve sat down and met with them. It’s not easy. It’s not easy for me either. It’s not easy for our elected officials to make these decisions. So I just, I hope they know that."

More:Iowa Poll: Majorities support bans on gender-affirming care for kids, LGBTQ teaching limits

Reynolds also cited a recent Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll that found a majority of Iowans (52%) favor the legislation banning gender-affirming care for minors.

"We try to figure out what’s the best for the majority of our kids," she said. "And the majority of Iowans support the bills. They support protecting our children against uncertain science. These are irreversible therapies and procedures."

The poll also found 54% of Iowans favor banning schools from teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity through sixth grade. A bill that passed the House earlier this month, House File 348, would prohibit that teaching in schools.

Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Kim Reynolds says Iowa should 'pause' gender-affirming care to trans kids