Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is introducing legislation that would make it a crime to perform “gender-affirming care” on minors.
In a tweet Friday, the Georgia Congresswoman wrote, “The Protect Children’s Innocence Act has been introduced. Thanks to all of the original cosponsors.”
Eleven other House Republicans co-sponsored the legislation, including Reps. Mary Miller (R-Ill.), Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.), Bob Good (R-Va.), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), Clay Higgins (R-La.), Burgess Owens (R-Utah), Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.), Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.), Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.), and Lance Gooden (R-Texas).
The Protect Children’s Innocence Act has been introduced.
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene?? (@RepMTG) August 19, 2022
Thanks to all of the original cosponsors.@RepMaryMiller@RepJeffDuncan@RepBobGood @RepRalphNorman@RepMattGaetz@RepTonyGonzales@RepClayHiggins@RepBurgessOwens@RepTenney@Rep_Clyde@RepHarshbarger@Lancegooden pic.twitter.com/8P69HlQMbP
The bill states that anyone who “knowingly performs any gender-affirming care on a minor is guilty of a class C felony.”
The Hill notes that it carries a punishment of 10-25 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
It prohibits over a dozen medical interventions “for the purpose of changing the body of such individual to correspond to a sex that differs from their biological sex” for minors, including the administration of puberty-blocking drugs.
In a separate tweet, Greene added that her bill “blocks all taxpayer-funding for these barbaric procedures, bans colleges from teaching it, and prohibits foreign aliens who commit these appalling acts from entering the U.S.”
It also blocks all taxpayer-funding for these barbaric procedures, bans colleges from teaching it, and prohibits foreign aliens who commit these appalling acts from entering the U.S. https://t.co/vd0IVmOPSZ
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene?? (@RepMTG) August 19, 2022
The Association of American Medical Colleges describes gender-affirming care as a “range of social, psychological, behavioral, and medical interventions” which are supposed to “affirm” someone’s gender identity “when it conflicts with the gender they were assigned at birth.”
“The interventions help transgender people align various aspects of their lives — emotional, interpersonal, and biological — with their gender identity,” it adds.
Greene’s decision to introduce the bill was cheered by conservatives on Twitter.
The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh shared a clip of Greene on Fox News previewing the legislation and wrote, “Every Republican must loudly and vocally support [Greene’s] legislation or else they reveal themselves to be worthless cowards.”
Every Republican must loudly and vocally support @RepMTG legislation or else they reveal themselves to be worthless cowards https://t.co/s8kPEWos0I
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) August 19, 2022
Conservative commentator David Reaboi wrote, “YES. Excellent. The ‘gender-affirming care’ official lie is an evil monstrosity, and must be destroyed.”
YES. Excellent. The “gender-affirming care” official lie is an evil monstrosity, and must be destroyed. https://t.co/zfJS4NZi56
— David Reaboi, Late Republic Nonsense (@davereaboi) August 19, 2022
During a segment on Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” Greene argued, “When it comes to ‘gender-affirming care,’ which is really child abuse, this is actually an assault, and it’s child abuse.”
“This practice should never happen. It’s so disgusting and appalling. And it’s an embarrassment to our country,” she added.