Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed bills into law on Tuesday that penalize adults who help minors access abortion and so-called “gender affirming care,” which includes irreversible sex reassignment surgery. Both laws will go into effect on July 1.
From the day the laws take effect and onward, any adult who “intentionally recruits, harbors, or transports” a pregnant minor within the state to get an abortion without consent from the minor’s parents or guardians would be charged with a Class A misdemeanor, which requires almost one year imprisonment, according to the Associated Press.
“Parents have a right to be involved with their daughters’ wellbeing. The abortion industry has no right to keep parents in the dark at a time when their daughters are so vulnerable and could possibly be in danger,” said Stacy Dunn, Tennessee Right to Life’s president, in a statement to the outlet about the law.
“If a minor is getting an abortion, a crime has already occurred,” 40 Days for Life wrote on X. “Abortions only cover up the crime. We applaud Tennessee for protecting these vulnerable children from more harm.”
If a minor is getting an abortion, a crime has already occurred. Abortions only cover up the crime. We applaud Tennessee for protecting these vulnerable children from more harm. 👏 https://t.co/wjIk5C7YW3
— 40 Days for Life (@40daysforlife) May 30, 2024
Tennessee's legislation was reportedly inspired by an Idaho law prohibiting "abortion trafficking," which Townhall covered.
In addition, Tennessee is the first state to pursue penalizing adults who help children receive transgender care without parental consent. AP noted that violations could range from talking to an adolescent about a website on where to find this type of harmful “care” to helping that young person travel to another state with looser restrictions on gender-affirming care services.
Last year, Tennessee enacted a law that does not allow minors to receive this kind of care, which also includes puberty blockers and hormone therapy treatments. Left-wing states like California allow minors access to this kind of care. Predictably, President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice (DOJ) went after Tennessee over the law.
“By denying only transgender youth access to these forms of medically necessary care while allowing non-transgender minors access to the same or similar procedures, SB 1 discriminates against transgender youth,” a press release from the DOJ stated.
“No person should be denied access to necessary medical care just because of their transgender status,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The right to consider your health and medically-approved treatment options with your family and doctors is a right that everyone should have, including transgender children, who are especially vulnerable to serious risks of depression, anxiety and suicide. The Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department will continue to aggressively challenge all forms of discrimination and unlawful barriers faced by the LGBTQI+ community.”