FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 5, 2023
BREAKING: Indiana Protects Minors from “Transition” Procedures
The new law protects minors from dangerous transgender interventions
Today, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb signed Senate Bill 480 making Indiana the seventh state with a law protecting vulnerable children from both sex-change surgeries and experimental hormones aimed at “transition.” The law holds healthcare professionals accountable by providing child victims an opportunity to sue for damages.
Meridian Baldacci, Director of Strategy at Family Policy Alliance, responded:
“Today, Indiana has sent a clear message: they take child safety seriously. When a child is deeply struggling, he or she deserves meaningful help – not the harm of hormones and surgery.
“And these interventions do cause serious harm. They often leave young people sterile, with a variety of irreversible maladies and physical changes, and the deep pain of regret. All this can happen before a child is even old enough to buy cough syrup over the counter.“This bill is standing in the gap.
“We are so grateful for the tireless work of our friends and allies at Indiana Family Institute, who shepherded this bill throughout the process. Their courageous leadership, and the hard work of the representatives who sponsored and supported this bill, was instrumental in making today possible. And, we thank Governor Holcomb for his decision to protect children by signing the bill today.”
We applaud the courageous work of six legislators in particular: bill author Sen. Tyler Johnson, and graduates of Family Policy Foundation’s Statesmen Academy: lead House sponsor Rep. Joanna King and co-sponsors Sen. Mike Gaskill, Sen. Jeff Raatz, Rep. Michelle Davis and Rep. Tim Wesco.
Family Policy Alliance (FPA) began work on protecting minors from transgender interventions in 2017, when the group first drafted an early version of what is now the Help Not Harm Act. In 2021, FPA launched its Help Not Harm campaign following the passage of Arkansas’s SAFE Act (the first successful bill in the nation to offer these protections).
To date, 7 states have Help Not Harm laws (Arkansas, South Dakota, Mississippi, Tennessee, Iowa, Kentucky, Indiana), 2 states have modified versions of the law (Arizona, Utah), 1 state has a bill on the governor’s desk (Montana), and 7 states are currently considering legislation (Missouri, Nebraska, Texas, Wisconsin, Ohio, New Hampshire, South Carolina).
Media Contact:
Robert Noland, (719) 308-2822, Media@FamilyPolicyAlliance.com
###
Family Policy Alliance advances biblical citizenship and promotes public policy that protects religious freedom, families, and life.