A large crowd of protesters gathered outside the Minnesota House chambers Thursday afternoon to voice their opposition to a “trans refuge” bill.
Tensions rose after a group of counter-protesters arrived, attempting to shout over their opponents and in one case pushing a man who was opposed to the bill. A woman was knocked to the ground during the brief altercation.
Another protester in favor of the bill threatened a local pastor, saying “Antifa” would vandalize his home. This same protester was carrying a “Thank God for Abortion” bag, which he pointed in the direction of a priest, shouting, “Do you like my bag?”
A pro “trans refuge” protester taunts counter-protesters with his “thank God for abortion” bag. pic.twitter.com/fkp0NcszbQ
— Alpha News (@AlphaNewsMN) March 23, 2023
Critics of the proposed legislation are calling it a “medical kidnapping” bill, saying it will allow state courts to take custody of children if their parents object to so-called “gender-affirming health care.”
The bill, HF146, will make Minnesota a safe haven for those children from states where sex-change operations and hormone therapies have been made illegal for minors.
“It allows children, regardless of age, to seek and receive radical medical treatments that can cause sterilization, bone loss, loss of sexual function and interference with brain development, all without their parents’ guidance and love,” said Rep. Peggy Scott, R-Andover.
Rep. Peggy Scott explains the issues with Minnesota's "trans refuge" bill.
"This means if a parent believes this treatment is not best for their child, a court can have an emergency hearing to remove the child." pic.twitter.com/uexX9fFsIN
— Alpha News (@AlphaNewsMN) March 23, 2023
She pointed to language in the bill that states: “A court of this state has temporary emergency jurisdiction if the child is present in this state and … has been unable to obtain gender-affirming health care.”
“This means if a parent believes this treatment is not best for their child, a court can have an emergency hearing to remove the child,” Scott said.
Rep. Leigh Finke, a transgender Democrat from St. Paul who is sponsoring the bill, said it would protect trans people, their families, and medical practitioners from any legal repercussions of coming to Minnesota for “gender-affirming care.”
“We have a responsibility to create more space for our community to live their fullest, authentic lives without fear of violence, rejection, abuse, or political attack. That is the work we are here to do today,” Finke said, objecting to the GOP’s description of the bill.
The House debated the bill into the early morning hours. During the debate, Finke claimed to have received “countless” messages from families seeking to relocate to Minnesota to receive “gender-affirming care.”
Rep. Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, spoke in opposition to the bill, calling it virtue signaling. “Members, this is an easy no vote,” he said.
HAPPENING NOW: Protesters gather outside the MN House chambers as Democrats prepare to pass a bill to make the state a "Trans Refuge." Critics say the bill will violate the rights of parents who refuse to subject their kids to gender mutilation surgery. pic.twitter.com/e4kHtbbCv3
— Alpha News (@AlphaNewsMN) March 23, 2023
“I urge you to recognize that this is absolutely necessary, because the nation is currently in the grips of mass hysteria, a moral panic, a witch hunt, to demonize a tiny minority in the pursuit of political power,” said Rep. Athena Hollins, DFL-St. Paul, speaking in favor of the bill. “We have a moral duty as Minnesotans to defend trans-Americans in the face of this bigotry.”
Rep. Walter Hudson, R-Albertville, had strong words for his DFL colleagues. “You have to go to professions of ignorance in order to defend this,” he said.
“We’ve been doing you a favor. We’ve adopted your phrase ‘gender-affirming care,’” he continued. “It’s mutilation.”
Rep. @WalterHudson: "It's mutilation." #minnesotanews #mnleg #dfl #gop #transrefugebill pic.twitter.com/TyQcJnau2f
— Alpha News (@AlphaNewsMN) March 24, 2023
“In what other area of medicine do we say that a doctor has to treat someone based on the patient’s self-diagnosis, let alone a minor’s self-diagnosis?” asked Rep. Kristin Robbins, R-Maple Grove.
The “trans refuge” bill was passed, after hours of debate, largely along party lines. One Democrat, Rep. Gene Pelowski from Winona, voted against the bill. It will now proceed to the Minnesota Senate, where Democrats hold a much smaller one-seat majority.