COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina lawmakers are weighing restrictions on health care for transgender children, while a Missouri legislative committee discusses a slew of like-minded proposals. The measures’ consideration in the two GOP strongholds highlights the continued interest among conservative lawmakers in targeting issues impacting LGBTQ+ residents after last year’s wave of high-profile bills. South Carolina is one of the few Southern states without a ban on gender-affirming care for minors. Its Republican-dominated House began debating a bill Wednesday that would bar health professionals from performing gender-transition surgeries, prescribing puberty-blocking drugs and overseeing hormone treatments for patients under 18 years old.
