Cezar McKnight

—Chief sponsor of a bill aimed at prohibiting treatment for minors experiencing gender dysphoria, regardless of the advice of doctors or the need for medical intervention. The bill is a political attack on the rights and health of transgender people and defies evidence-based medical practices. If the bill is passed, doctors who prescribe medication or perform any procedures to delay puberty or confirm trans youths’ gender would face felony charges and a possible prison sentence of 20 years. McKnight was the only Democrat to sponsor the legislation, and leaders of the South Carolina Democratic Party unanimously approved a resolution condemning “this outrageous bill—and its Democratic supporters—in the strongest possible terms.” 

—Appeared on Tucker Carlson Tonight to promote the legislation, saying, “In South Carolina, you have to be 18 years old to get a tattoo. So how is it that you can get an irrevocable procedure performed on you at any age during your adolescence?” Puberty blockers are a reversible medication that pause puberty and are prescribed for youth with early onset puberty or transgender youth experiencing gender dysphoria. Puberty resumes when the medication is discontinued. Clinicians are worried legislation like this indicates a widespread misunderstanding about the medical intervention for trans youth and defies evidence-based practices. A statement from The American Academy of Pediatrics calls such bills “dangerous” and “recommends that youth who identify as transgender have access to comprehensive, gender-affirming, and developmentally appropriate health care that is provided in a safe and inclusive clinical space.” The trans community faces a disproportionate risk of suicide. A study in the journal Pediatrics shows a lower risk of suicidal ideation in transgender adults who received puberty blockers during adolescence compared with those wanted the medication but could not get it. According to the study: “These results align with past literature, suggesting that pubertal suppression for transgender adolescents who want this treatment is associated with favorable mental health outcomes.”