(Headline USA) The Montana Senate voted Tuesday to indefinitely postpone a bill that would have banned gender transition surgery for minors, effectively killing the proposal.
Republican Rep. John Fuller, who sponsored the measure, said the senators who voted to postpone the bill “voted to allow the sexual mutilation of children.”
“Obviously for this group of senators, it was not important enough to look at the bigger issue to protect children from life-changing decisions before they are adults,” he said Tuesday evening.
Democratic Sen. Bryce Bennett, the first openly gay man elected to the Montana Legislature, made the motion to indefinitely postpone the bill.
The motion passed on a 27-22 vote, with eight Republicans joining all Democrats in supporting it.
“We came together today to protect trans kids and make sure their parents control their health care…” Bennett said.
Similar bans have been proposed in several states this year. One has passed into law in Arkansas, but has yet to take effect.
Rep. Fuller has another bill, the “Save Women’s Sports Act,” which just passed the Montana House.
The legislation would prevent transgender athletes from competing with women, given their advantage of increased testosterone during their developing years, strength, size and other factors.
Rep. Fuller said letting transgender women compete “will result in the destruction of women’s sports, and I believe it’s a violation of the spirit of Title IX.”
Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press.
