Fact Check: "Alabama's law makes gender-affirming care for minors a felony punishable by 10 years."
What We Know
In April 2022, Alabama lawmakers passed Senate Bill (S.B.) 184, which criminalizes certain types of gender-affirming medical care for minors. Specifically, the law makes it a felony for any person to "engage in or cause" the provision of gender-affirming medications, such as puberty blockers and hormones, to transgender minors. The penalties for violating this law include imprisonment for up to 10 years and fines up to $15,000 (Justice Department Challenges Alabama Law, source-1).
The law has been challenged in court, with the U.S. Department of Justice filing a complaint arguing that the law violates the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause by discriminating against transgender youth (Justice Department Challenges Alabama Law, source-1).
Analysis
The claim that Alabama's law makes gender-affirming care for minors a felony punishable by 10 years is substantiated by multiple sources. The law explicitly states that it is a felony to prescribe or administer gender-affirming medications to minors, which has been confirmed by various reports (Alabama passes bill making some transgender healthcare, source-3).
A federal judge temporarily blocked part of the law that banned the prescription of gender-affirming medications but left in place the provisions that impose criminal penalties on healthcare providers (A judge blocks part of an Alabama law that criminalizes ..., source-2). This indicates that while some aspects of the law are currently under judicial review, the core claim regarding the felony status and the associated penalties remains accurate.
The sources used in this analysis are credible, including official statements from the U.S. Department of Justice and reputable news organizations like NPR and Reuters. These sources provide a clear and factual basis for understanding the implications of S.B. 184.
Conclusion
The claim that "Alabama's law makes gender-affirming care for minors a felony punishable by 10 years" is True. The law indeed criminalizes the provision of gender-affirming medications to minors, with penalties that include significant prison time. The ongoing legal challenges do not negate the existence of the law or its punitive measures.
