Gender Affirming Healthcare Bill Passes State House

>> Eric: LATER IN THE HOUR WE'LL HEAR ABOUT WHAT BANK FAILURES ELSEWHERE MIGHT MEAN TO MINNESOTANS, PAUL DOUGLAS WILL DISCUSS GROWING WORRIES ABOUT SPRING FLOODING BUT FIRST UP A HISTORIC VOTE IN THE MINNESOTA HOUSE.

THE MINNESOTA HOUSE PASSED A BILL THAT WOULD MAKE MINNESOTA A PLACE OF REFUGE FOR THOSE SEEKING GENDER AFFIRMING HEALTH CARE.

THAT WERE PART OF AN EXECUTIVE ORDER ISSUED BY GOVERNOR WALZ EARLIER THIS MONTH.

THE GENDER AFFIRMING LEGISLATION THAT PASSED THE HOUSE WAS AUTHORED BY FIRST TERM LAWMAKER LEIGH FINKE.

ON SUNDAY SHE WAS NAMED MINNESOTA WOMAN OF THE YEAR BY "USA TODAY."

IN JANUARY FINKE BECAME THE FIRST TRANSGENDER LAWMAKER IN OUR STATE AND IS ALSO THE CHAIR OF THE LEGISLATURE'S 12-MEMBER QUEER CAUCUS.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, IT'S A TRUE HONOR TO BE HERE.

>> Cathy: YOU KNOW, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THIS.

THERE IS -- THERE'S ALSO HE EXECUTIVE ORDER SIGNED BY GOVERNOR WALZ AND TRANS PEOPLE ARE PROTECTED UNDER MINNESOTA LAW, THERE'S A 1993 LAW THAT PROTECTS TRANS PEOPLE, SO WHAT WILL HIS BILL DO SPECIFICALLY?

>> YEAH, SO, YOU'RE RIGHT.

MINNESOTA WAS THE FIRST STATE TO PROTECT TRANS PEOPLE IN ITS MINNESOTA HUMAN RIGHTS RIGHT ACT AND WE DO HAVE ACCESS TO GENDER AFFIRMING CARE BUT THE WORK WE'RE DOING IS PROTECTING PEOPLE NOT IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA, LIKE PEOPLE IN IOWA WHO BANNED GENDER AFFIRMING CARE A FEW DAYS OF DAYS AGO AND SOUTH DAKOTA BANNED TWO WEEKS AGO.

IT SAYS IF YOU CAN'T FIND GENDER AFFIRMING CARE IN YOUR HOME STATE YOU CAN COME HERE.

>> Eric: IS THAT CONSTITUTIONAL?

>> WE HAVE A RIGHT TO MAKE LAWS JUST AS THEY DO.

WE HAVE A RIGHT TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE IN OUR STATE.

THERE ARE QUESTIONS OF CONSTITUTIONALITY BUT WE HAVE DONE THIS MANY TIMES.

WE HAVE PROTECTED INTERRACIAL MARRIAGES WHEN THOSE WERE NOT BEING HONORED IN OTHER STATES, WE HAVE REFUSED TO RETURN RUNAWAY SLAVES IN THE FUGITIVE SLAVE ACT.

SO THERE IS A LONG HISTORY OF MAKING LAWS THAT ARE JUST AND DOING IT BECAUSE IT IS RIGHT.

>> Cathy: REPRESENTATIVE, FOR FOLKS WHO ARE NOT CLEAR, HOW DO YOU DEFINE GENDER FFIRMING CARE?

>> YEAH, GENDER AFFIRMING CARE IS A WIDE SLATE OF HEALTH CARE THAT IS OFFERED TO PEOPLE WHO ARE GENDER EXPANSIVE.

IT CAN BE ANYTHING FROM COUNSELING, USUALLY IT'S MOSTLY COUNSELING AND SUPPORT DURING A SOCIAL TRANSITION.

IT'S ALSO MEDICAL, HORMONE THERAPY, FOR ADULTS EVENTUALLY OFTEN, AND NOT OFTEN, ACTUALLY, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING I THINK MOST PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND, BUT IT ALSO INCLUDES SURGERIES.

>> Eric: I WANT TO READ WHAT THE STONEWALL REPUBLICANS SAID AND THAT'S THE REPUBLICAN GAY RIGHTS GROUP I GUESS YOU WOULD SAY SAID THAT THE BILL ENCOURAGES CHILDREN TO GO IRREVERSIBLE CHEMICAL THERAPIES AND SURGERIES.

WHAT'S YOUR REACTION TO THAT QUOTE?

>> WELL, THE ILL DOESN'T ENCOURAGE ANYONE TO DO ANYTHING.

IT JUST SAYS IF YOU ARE GOING TO RECEIVE GENDER AFFIRMING CARE IN MINNESOTA THE LAWS HERE WILL PROTECT YOU WHILE YOU RECEIVE THAT CARE.

CHILDREN IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA DO NOT RECEIVE SURGERIES UNDER THE AGE OF 18.

CHILDREN IN MINNESOTA DO NOT RECEIVE HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF THEIR PARENTS, CONSENT OF THEIR PARENTS AND DOCTORS, THERE ARE ETHICAL GUIDELINES IN PRACTICING MEDICINE, YOU CAN'T JUST GIVE PEOPLE DRUGS WITHOUT FOLLOWING PROCEDURES.

AND THESE ARE VERY PERSONAL DECISIONS THAT PEOPLE MAKE WITH THEIR FAMILIES, WITH THEIR DOCTORS.

THESE ARE TREATMENT PROGRAMS.

ALL OF THESE DRUGS, ALL OF THESE THINGS RE USED IN OTHER TREATMENTS AS WELL.

NONE OF THIS IS PARTICULARLY UNIQUE TO GENDER AFFIRMING CARE.

THE PROBLEM IS WE'RE TREATING GENDER DYSPHORIA, WE'RE SEPARATING OUT TRANS PEOPLE AND SAYING YOU CAN'T HAVE ACCESS TO THIS CARE.

>> Eric: JUST TO UNDERLINE THIS FOR EMPHASIS, THIS AFFECTS FOLKS THAT WOULD COME HERE FOR TREATMENT AND REALLY THE STATUS QUO FOR TRANSGENDER FOLKS N MINNESOTA, IS THAT, AM I READING THAT RIGHT?

>> YOU ARE READING THAT EXACTLY RIGHT.

WHAT IS BEING OFFERED TO PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE OF MINNESOTA IS WHAT MY COMMUNITY IS VERY LUCKY TO HAVE ACCESS TO ALREADY IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA.

>> Cathy: WERE YOU SURPRISED LAST NIGHT, THIS WAS A LONG DEBATE, HOURS-LONG DEBATE AND IT GOT REALLY EMOTIONAL AT TIMES.

WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF ALL THAT?

>> I WAS SHOCKED, BUT NOT SURPRISED I THINK, BY SOME OF THE LEVELS OF THE RHETORIC THAT WE HEARD FROM THE OTHER SIDE.

BUT THESE ARE PASSIONATE ISSUES, THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF MISINFORMATION ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A TRANS OR GENDER EXPANSIVE PERSON.

AND, YOU NOW, THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR MYSELF AND REPRESENTATIVE KOZLOWSKI, OUR FIRST NONBINARY MEMBER TO BE THERE, TO BE ABLE TO VOICE OUR OWN EXPERIENCES NTO THAT SPACE BECAUSE IT'S STEAMILY PERSONAL.

>> Eric: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT SENATE PROSPECTS FOR THIS?

>> THE SENATE, IT HAS BEEN THROUGH JUDICIARY OVER THERE.

I'M UNDER THE IMPRESSION IT WAS VOTED THROUGH JUDICIARY TODAY, I SHOULD HAVE LOOKED T THAT BEFORE I SAT DOWN BUT I THINK IT WAS AND WE'LL EE WHEN THEY'RE READY TO BRING IT TO THE FLOOR.

>> Eric: WHAT KIND OF COMMUNICATION ARE YOU HAVING WITH FOLKS AROUND THE COUNTRY OVER THIS PARTICULAR BILL?

>> WELL, I'M HEARING FROM TRANS PEOPLE AND ESPECIALLY PARENTS OF TRANS KIDS VERY OFTEN WHO ARE VERY WORRIED.

IT'S VERY SCARY IN THIS COUNTRY FOR THOSE FAMILIES, ESPECIALLY IN STATES HERE CARE HAS BEEN BANNED.

SO THEY ARE REACHING OUT TO ME LOOKING FOR HELP, LOOKING FOR ADVICE.

IF A PERSON WERE TO BE UNDERGOING GENDER TRANSITION AND THEN BEING FORCED TO DETRANSITION, IT'S CALLED FORCED DETRANSITION, IT'S AN ALMOST UNIMAGINABLE VIOLENCE FOR A TRANS PERSON TO UNDERGO SO HOSE PARENTS ARE VERY SCARED AND THEY'RE LOOKING TO FIGURE OUT HOW THEY CAN PROTECT THEIR KID.

>> Cathy: IS THAT HAPPENING RIGHT NOW?

>> IT'S HAPPENING IN MANY STATES RIGHT NOW.

PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN ON MEDICATIONS, SOMETIMES FOR YEARS ARE LOSING ACCESS TO THEIR MEDICATIONS.

IT'S VERY, IT'S IMMORAL, IT'S STRONG, AND IT'S DANGEROUS.

>> Cathy: BEFORE YOU GO BY THE WAY, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR AWARD, WHAT DID YOU THINK?

>> IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST WILD DAYS I'VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE, THE DAY THAT WAS ANNOUNCED.

I'M INCREDIBLY HONORED.

AND, YEAH, I MEAN, IT'S BEEN A WEIRD WEEK.

[ LAUGHTER ] >> Cathy: LIFE CHANGING WEEK I'M SURE.

>> IT HAS.