35 Comments

Oh, well that has Parents Rights written all over now doesn't it? This is all about Parents Rights until your child is trans. Then your at the mercy of Evangelical extremest and the Heritage Foundation.

Expand full comment

This is hard to even read about.

Expand full comment

Absolutely and unequivocally unconstitutional.

ETA: Also under the Wyoming Constitution, which states, in pertinent part:

Wyoming Constitution Art. 1, § 38. Right of health care access

(a) Each competent adult shall have the right to make his or her own health care decisions.  The parent, guardian or legal representative of any other natural person shall have the right to make health care decisions for that person.

Expand full comment

Thank you! This is why it’s important to know state constitutions!

Expand full comment

This is outrageous. The right wing wants trans people dead and will stop at nothing to achieve it. Thank heavens your fiancée is in the Montana legislature, Erin!

Expand full comment

Here we go again. The right-wing zealots will stop at nothing, and as is well-known by now, they have no intention of stopping with kids. They want to come for adults too. The legislation re. kids is just to get their foot in the door of their long process. Their objective of wanting to exclude “surgery” along with other gender-affirming procedures is just a misleading ploy to rile up their base, since surgical GAC measures are almost never performed on individuals under 18.

The Wyoming moves reinforce my belief that no state is truly safe that does not already have legislative or state constitutional protections for GAC - these would generally, more or less, be the states that are dark blue on Erin’s map. And these states will only be safe unless and until national legislation gets passed under a hypothetical future GOP presidency and Congress.

Expand full comment

But as I said in my other post, Wyoming actually DOES have state constitutional protections for GAC. Doesn't stop the Rethugs from going after it anyway.

Expand full comment

It is not a surprise anymore when red states attempt to pass anti-trans laws. Their militant ignorance and adherence to pseudoscience is the real child abuse. Parental rights are only if you agree with obscene point of view. Hopefully some day this period of time when trans people are suffering stress just knowing that there is such hate will go down as cruel and vile like Jim Crow and be compared with Germany of the 1930s. Our news and social media is failing dismally to educate and tell the truth.

Expand full comment

THIS PART! Exactly what I'm thinking too.

Expand full comment

This story makes me sick to my stomach. I’m horrified!

Expand full comment

Just when I think it can't get worse, it does. Interesting how saving this teen's life seems to be secondary to all the political grandstanding. Why am I not surprised?

Expand full comment

Thank you for this article, Erin! Both of my adult children live in Wyoming--one of them is trans. I just sent an email to the sponsor and each of the 12 co-sponsors of this bill. For anyone interested in doing the same, their names are listed on the right side of the bill's text (linked in the article) and you can find their email addresses here: https://wyoleg.gov/Legislators.

Expand full comment

Never mind. I found their email addresses. What a hassle putting them together, though. For anybody wanting an easier way, here's a list of all the people supporting this bullshit:

Ocean Andrew, Abby Angelos, John Bear, Jeremy Haroldson, Scott Heiner, Chip Neiman, Pepper Ottman, Sarah Penn, Rachel Rodriguez-Williams, Tim French, Robert Ide, Dan Laursen, Cheri Steinmetz

You'll have to cross reference those names with the above link to get their email addresses. It's a bit of a hassle for those not quick with copy/paste. They're all Republicans in Wyoming. You can see everything they've backed here: https://legiscan.com/WY/sponsors/HB0156/2024.

Expand full comment

Thank you for posting the contact information and who we can direct our comments to. I appreciate you taking the time to do so.

Expand full comment

Wait. I didn't see it. So only Wyoming residents can comment? If that's true, no wonder they're kicking our butts all over the country. They need a collective FY!

Expand full comment

This makes my heart hurt. The cruelty is beyond understanding.

Expand full comment

Okay, let's see if you're courageous enough to put some yack in the ear/eyes of those people. I'm very quick with a keyboard and put together an email list of the Wyoming RepubliKKKans making a mess of things for our people. Since it was a task and a half putting it together, enjoy this convenience on me.

Ocean.Andrew@wyoleg.gov; Abby.Angelos@wyoleg.gov; John.Bear@wyoleg.gov; Jeremy.Haroldson@wyoleg.gov; Scott.Heiner@wyoleg.gov; Chip.Neiman@wyoleg.gov; Pepper.Ottman@wyoleg.gov; Sarah.Penn@wyoleg.gov; Rachel.Rodriguez-Williams@wyoleg.gov; Tim.French@wyoleg.gov; Bob.Ide@wyoleg.gov; Dan.Laursen@wyoleg.gov; Cheri.Steinmetz@wyoleg.gov

Expand full comment

Much appreciation! This makes it so easy.

Expand full comment

You're welcome. :)

Expand full comment

This is such a classic case of hysteria and mob mentality it makes me truly ashamed to be called part I of the same human race as these people.

Expand full comment

This is one of the most heartbreaking thing ever. I would be forced to leave the state for the protection of my child.

Expand full comment

God, this is so horrifying and beyond reproach. I don't know about you all, but they're trying to kill us with stress. They don't care to wipe out another million or 2 with these things? Unbelievable. And to say they're pro-life is a joke. God help any baby born into this mess. Dammit!!

Expand full comment

Thanks Erin. This is so very sad and horrific

Expand full comment

This is horrifying!

Expand full comment