New Hampshire becomes first state in New England to ban child sex changes

New Hampshire has become the first state in New England to enact a ban on medical sex changes for minors, joining a growing number of states placing such restrictions across the country. Many of these bans follow President Donald Trump's executive order saying that no hospitals that undertake child sex changes would receive federal funding, including via Medicaid and Medicare.

Republican Governor Kelly Ayotte signed two bills into law, both aimed at restricting access to sex change medical procedures for individuals under the age of 18. One measure prohibits puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for minors, with an exception for those already undergoing treatment. The ban will take effect January 1. 

The law calls for disciplinary action by the state's medical board for providers who violate the law. It also allows anyone who claims to be harmed by a violation to file suit against the provider. In recent years, doctors have been providing puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to young people who say they are transgender.

The second bill limits breast surgeries for minors to "only those procedures needed to treat malignancy, injury, infection, or malformation and those needed to reconstruct the breasts after such procedures." Many young girls ages 12 and over have had both of their breasts removed to make their chests appear more masculine.

"Medical decisions made at a young age can carry lifelong consequences, and these bills represent a balanced, bipartisan effort to protect children," Ayotte said in a statement. Some of the sex change services can result in sterility and a loss of sexual function.

Republican State Senator Kevin Avard praised the legislation, calling the trend toward youth gender transitions “almost a cult-like following of this gender confusion.” According to NBC Boston, Avard said he believes “biology speaks volumes” and decided to vote for the legislation after hearing the testimony of people who underwent these transitions and then regretted them.

“They realized that they did long-term and irreparable damage to their bodies,” Avard explained. “The testimony was overwhelming, they were confused.”

The move comes amid a broader national trend, with more states enacting similar restrictions. The Supreme Court recently upheld Tennessee’s ban on youth gender transitions, paving the way for other states to enforce comparable measures focused on protecting minors from irreversible and experimental treatments.

New York Attorney General Letitia James has launched a lawsuit against the federal government and the Trump administration and was joined by 15 other states, including California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia, as well as the governor of Pennsylvania.