Puerto Rico bans hormone therapy and gender surgery for transgender youth

SAN JUAN Puerto Rico AP Puerto Rico s governor has signed a bill that prohibits hormone therapy or gender-affirming surgeries for transgender youth a move that has drawn sharp criticism from activists in the largely conservative U S territory The law approved late Wednesday applies to those younger than and calls for years in prison for any violators as well as a penalty and the revocation of all licenses and permits of clinical staff Related Articles Wall Street hangs near its record as PepsiCo and United Airlines offset drops for fitness care stocks M of the nation s poorest renters threat losing their homes with Trump s proposed HUD time limit Fewer Americans file for jobless benefits last week as layoffs remain at historically healthy levels Retail sales up a surprising in June after a May pullback by consumers Army veteran and US citizen arrested in California immigration raid warns it could happen to anyone Minors having not yet reached the necessary emotional cognitive and physical maturity are particularly vulnerable to making decisions that can have irreversible consequences the law reads Therefore it is the State s duty to ensure their comprehensive well-being It also states that community funds cannot be used for such purposes Puerto Rico s LGBTQ Federation criticized the law in a message Thursday Let there be no doubt We will go to court to challenge the constitutionality of the governor s cruel and inhumane signing of a law that criminalizes fitness professionals for caring for trans minors announced Justin Jes s Santiago the federation s director Puerto Rico associations that represent physicians surgeons psychologists social workers lawyers and other professionals had urged the governor to veto the bill Roughly two dozen U S states have similar laws