JEFFERSON CITY — Senate Republicans on Tuesday used a recent report from a former employee of a St. Louis transgender center to bolster arguments in favor of legislation to prohibit gender-affirming treatments for minors.
Jamie Reed, who worked at the Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital as a case manager between 2018 and 2022, did not testify Tuesday in favor of bills limiting care, but last week claimed in a first-person narrative without rebuttal that “vulnerable patients” had been harmed at the clinic.
She also signed an affidavit, swearing to incidents at the center, which was released by Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s office.
Reed alleged that instead of providing mental health treatment to children who needed it, the center gave them puberty blockers, which pause the physical change of growing up, or cross-sex hormones. She alleged cases moved forward despite disagreements between parents about their child’s need for gender-affirming care.
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In her sworn affidavit, she alleged the center regularly referred minors for gender-transition surgery, contrary to public assurances by its doctors.
“Lots of information has been presented, particularly from … the whistleblower’s testimony,” said Sen. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove.
Sen. Denny Hoskins, a Warrensburg Republican and one of the sponsors of legislation limiting treatment, said, “I don’t have anything against transgender adults, but in my mind, we have to protect the kids. These kids are not old enough in order to make these decisions for themselves.”
Sen. Elaine Gannon, R-De Soto, said after reading Reed’s article, she said to herself, “finally the cat’s out of the bag. And this is being exposed, and it needs to be exposed. And it needs to stop.”
Sen. Greg Razer, a Kansas City Democrat opposed to the legislation, called Reed’s article “conveniently timed” and said Bailey “jumped right into the fray.”
“It has a lot of red flags to me,” Razer said.
Legislation limiting gender-affirming care for minors has emerged as a Republican priority this legislative session.
The House General Laws Committee on Tuesday had yet to vote on limits to transgender care, and the Senate Emerging Issues Committee took no action on Tuesday.
The Senate Education and Workforce Development Committee on Tuesday did advance legislation prohibiting educators from “encourag(ing) a student under the age of eighteen years old to adopt a gender identity or sexual orientation.”
The new legislation, sponsored by Moon had been derided as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
A previous version banned discussion of “gender identity or sexual orientation with a minor student” unless the educator is a mental health provider with permission from a parent or guardian.
The legislation is Senate Bill 134, and the transgender health care legislation is Senate Bills 236, 164, and 49.
Originally posted at 12:40 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 14.
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