Medical Board agreement to ban gender affirming surgeries for trans youth

By Britany Adorno-Alicea

Alaska’s State Medical Board met on March 19 for their monthly meeting to discuss a bill proposed by Representative Jamie Allard. This bill that she is sponsoring criminalizes gender-affirming care for transgender youth in Alaska.

Under this bill, gender-affirming care that includes surgery and hormone blockers or hormonal supplements specifically for trans-youth will no longer be allowed to be administered, even with parental consent. There are exceptions to this bill for youth who under specific circumstances require these surgeries or hormones.

Representative Allard claimed that she does not aim to take away parental rights, yet refers to parents consenting to such surgeries as “child abuse” and makes a comparison to cutting off a child’s hand.

With the backing support of the organization Alliance Defending Freedom, Allard hopes to ensure that the law cannot be challenged on legal grounds. 

Members of the board, Brent Taylor, David Paulson, David Barnes, Michael McNamara, Norman Walker, and David Wilson, were all in support of Representative Allard’s bill, with board member Wilson thanking Allard for her bravery in bringing this to the attention of the Medical Board.

Orthopedic surgeon Michael McNamara also voiced his full support in the bill and of Jamie Allard’s choice to step up and make these decisions, stating his belief that it is good for Alaska,. All six board members were present and unanimously voted in favor of drafting a letter of support for Jame Allard’s bill.