Democratic governor Tony Evers is expected to veto a bill that bans gender-affirming surgery for minors in Wisconsin. The senate gave final approval last week and Fond du Lac Republican senator Dan Feyen voted in favor. “Right now if you’re under the age of 18 you can’t even get a tattoo, you can’t even buy spray paint, so I don’t think it’s appropriate that minors should be receiving care like this without thinking it through,” Feyen told WFDL news. “When they’re an adult they’re free to do whatever they want.” Democrats and other bill opponents, including those representing the LGBTQ community argue that introducing the ban adds to the mental health challenges that transgender and nonbinary youth already face. Republican supporters have suggested that opinions of medical experts will change on the importance of gender-affirming care, though it has been available in the United States for more than a decade and is endorsed by major medical associations.
