Rating: Transsupportive, NPR, July 26, 2023 (PDF archive) (HTML archive) (Audio archive)

Content Summary

A Patchwork of Transgender Healthcare Laws Push Families Across State Lines

July 26, 20235:48 PM ET

LGBTQ activists rally at the State Capitol Building in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Earlier this year state legislators put into place legal protections for trans people traveling to the state to receive healthcare.

Stephen Maturen/AFP via Getty Images

When Utah passed a ban on gender-affirming care for people younger than 18, Kat and their family had to make a tough choice. Should they uproot their lives and leave the state?

Kat is 14 and transgender. The Utah law banned the medical care that Kat was considering.

Around 20 states have passed similar laws — meaning many families could face the same tough decision: whether to leave their homes and where to go. Often it’s to a state like Minnesota, where elected officials have protected trans health care for patients and providers.

We speak with reporters Saige Miller from KUER in Salt Lake City and Dana Ferguson, a political reporter with Minnesota Public Radio to hear how this patchwork of laws in both states affects trans patients and their doctors.

In participating regions, you’ll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what’s going on in your community.

Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

This episode was produced by Jonaki Mehta and Connor Donevan. It was edited by Acacia Squires, Jeanette Woods and Ashley Brown. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.