Minnesota’s Democratic Gov. Tim Walz signed an executive order Wednesday directing state agencies to take action to protect and support access to gender-affirming health care across the state.
“All state agencies must, to the fullest extent of their lawful authority, pursue opportunities and coordinate with each other to protect people or entities providing, assisting, seeking or obtaining gender affirming health care services in Minnesota,” the order says.
Gender-affirming care is medically necessary, evidence-based care that uses a multidisciplinary approach to help a person transition from their assigned gender – the one the person was designated at birth – to their affirmed gender – the gender by which one wants to be known.
Walz’s order comes as Republican-led states around the country push restrictions on such care, with at least four states this year having passed measures to outlaw gender-affirming care for minors. As part of the order, the governor is prohibiting the state from cooperating with investigations by states that aim to penalize such care, saying their actions “pose a grave threat to the health” of members of the LGBTQ community.
“We want every Minnesotan to grow up feeling safe, valued, protected, celebrated and free to exist as their authentic versions of themselves,” Walz said at a press conference Wednesday.
“Protecting and supporting access to gender-affirming health care is essential to being a welcoming and supportive state to the community,” the governor continued. “Minnesota is going to continue to be a refuge for people who seek to provide and to receive gender affirming health care services.”
The order itself does not change any existing Minnesota law but instead requires state agencies to use their existing powers to protect gender-affirming care and study the health benefits of…
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