Overview
Families and medical providers in Montana are preparing for a new law set to take effect in October that bans certain medical treatments for minors with gender dysphoria. Proponents of the bill say the law protects children from making medical decisions they may later regret, while others call it dangerous and unethical.
For a transcript of this story, click here. News wrap alternative: Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.
5 Fact-Based Questions
- Why do some people want the treatments described in this story banned?
- How old is Sid Beardslee?
- What does Sid identify as?
- Who does this law effect?
- When is the new law set to take place?
Focus Question & Media Literacy
How do you think this law could impact the lives of young people in Montana? What might be some unintended consequences?
News analysis: How can news outlets report on sensitive subjects like this while still respecting those who it effects?
Alternative: See, Think, Wonder: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What story would you want to find out more about? Where would you go to learn more?
What Students Can Do
What students can do: You probably have studied many primary sources as a student and may even associate them with ancient civilizations or history class. But the bills and laws are important examples of primary sources. Take a look at Montana Senate Bill 99 here. What did you notice about the tone and wording of the bill? What does the bill’s title tell you about the differing opinions about transgender people and health care?
Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, currently running in the Republican primary for president, vetoed a bill in 2021 that called for banning gender affirming health care for youth. What did Hutchinson say were his reasons for doing so?
What happened next? The story shows why state politics — and civics — matter: The Arkansas legislature subsequently overrode the governor’s veto — only for a judge in June to say the law violates the Constitution before issuing a permanent injunction against it. The law would have prohibited doctors from referring patients to other clinics for such care. At least 19 other states have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for minors following Arkansas’ law, according to the AP, and nearly all of them have been challenged in court.
Ask students to check on the status of the laws in the other 19 states.
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