More than a dozen state attorneys general have come to the defense of an Arkansas law banning the use of puberty blockers on children with gender dysphoria amid a legal challenge, arguing that states have an obligation to “protect kids.” 

The Arkansas House voted 75-25 and the Senate 25-8 on Tuesday afternoon to override the governor's veto of House Bill 1570, also known as the "Save Adolescents From Experimentation Act" and its acronym, the SAFE Act.  

Arkansas is the first state in the nation to ban the prescribing of puberty blockers, hormonal drugs and the surgical body mutilation of minors suffering from gender dysphoria.
 
The medicalization of gender has come under increased scrutiny in recent months, particularly in light of a U.K. court ruling in a judicial review against the Tavistock clinic in London. Last year it was decided that youth younger than 16 lack the maturity to understand the risks to such experimental and irreversible procedures and thus cannot give informed consent under the Gillick competency, the U.K.'s legal standard by which youth can consent to medical procedures.


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