Marjorie Taylor Greene Pushes Bill to Criminalize Gender-Affirming Care for Minors

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s legislation to criminalize gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors is heading toward a House vote on December 17, following a commitment from House leadership. The bill, known as the Protect Children’s Innocence Act, would make it a federal felony for providers to offer gender-affirming medical care to anyone under 18, with penalties of up to 10 years in prison.

The proposal marks one of the most sweeping federal attempts yet to restrict transgender healthcare. The bill would prohibit puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and other forms of gender-affirming care for minors nationwide. Medical organizations including the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics all support such treatments as evidence-based and, for many patients, medically necessary.

The bill passed the House Judiciary Committee along party lines and has been forwarded for consideration by the full chamber.

At the same time the bill criminalizes gender-affirming care for transgender youth, it explicitly permits non-consensual surgical procedures on intersex infants and youth, a contradiction highlighted by civil rights groups.

ACLU Warns Bill Is “Most Extreme Anti-Trans Legislation Ever Considered by Congress”

The American Civil Liberties Union is strongly opposing the measure and has called on all House members to vote no.

“This extreme bill puts the threat of prosecution between hundreds of thousands of families and their doctors and would put doctors behind bars for exercising their best medical judgment,” said Mike Zamore, National Director of Policy & Government Affairs at the ACLU.

He added that criminalizing gender-affirming care represents “a grave escalation of an already severe effort to not only push transgender people out of public life but also allow the state to control our bodies and our lives further.”

Zamore noted that some families with transgender youth have already fled the United States due to the growing wave of restrictions in various states. He framed the bill as part of a broader pattern of “baseless politics” entering medical decision-making, drawing parallels to abortion bans. “The fundamental equality of transgender people and our families is at stake now,” he said.

National Context

Greene’s bill joins a nationwide trend of Republican-led efforts to restrict transgender rights across sectors including healthcare, education, sports participation, and public accommodations. Several states have already passed laws banning or limiting gender-affirming care for minors.

Gender-affirming care for youth typically involves reversible treatments such as puberty blockers, mental-health support, and—in later adolescence when appropriate—hormone therapy. Major medical groups warn that banning such care can endanger the mental health of transgender youth and increase risks of depression and suicide.

What Comes Next

Even if it passes the House, the bill’s prospects in the Senate remain uncertain. However, LGBTQ advocates warn that merely bringing such a bill to a vote normalizes the idea of criminalizing healthcare and intensifies fear among families already navigating hostile state policies.

For now, the House is expected to take up the measure on December 17, positioning the vote as a high-stakes moment in the ongoing national battle over transgender rights and medical autonomy.