Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed a law that bans transgender youth from accessing transition-related care. The new law is the largest of its kind in the US and aims to prevent minors from receiving gender-affirming treatments such as hormone therapy and puberty blockers. The law also prohibits doctors from administering such treatments or referring minors to other providers who offer them.

Supporters of the law argue that it is necessary to protect minors from making irreversible decisions about their bodies. They also claim that gender-affirming care is a form of child abuse, and that minors should not be subjected to it.

Critics of the law argue that it will harm the well-being of transgender youth, who often face significant mental health challenges due to their gender identity. They also claim that the law is based on misinformation and fear-mongering about transgender people and their lives.

The law follows a series of other bills targeting transgender people that have been introduced in Texas this year. These include bills that would restrict transgender youth from participating in school sports teams that match their gender identity and prohibit the use of public restrooms that don’t match the sex listed on a person’s birth certificate.

Many LGBTQ+ advocacy groups have decried the new law as yet another harmful attack on the rights of transgender people. Some have also vowed to take legal action to challenge the law and protect the rights of transgender youth in Texas.