Bill To Make Child Sex Changes A Felony Filed In Wyoming Legislature

A bill that would make it a felony to perform sex change procedures on anyone under 18 has been filed in the Wyoming Legislature.

The bill would classify child sex changes as child abuse.

You can read Senate File 111 here. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Charles Scott [R-Natrona County].

It's co-sponsored by Sens. Brennan, McKeown, Schuler and Steinmetz and Representative(s) Allemand, Banks, Chadwick, Heiner, Jennings, Lawley, Olsen, Ottman, Strock, Styvar and Walters.

Under the legislation, performing a sex-change procedure on a minor would be punishable by up to 10 years in prison, whether the process is surgical, drug-induced, or some combination of those. The bill says explicitly that getting consent from the child or the child's parents, guardian, or anyone else responsible for the child would not be a defense against child abuse charges in the case.

The bill does offer some exceptions under some circumstances:

''(i)  Medical treatment and any associated aftercare to create the clear sexual identity of a child born with an ambiguous sexual identity, provided the ambiguity is diagnosed before the child reaches the age of four (4) years;

 (ii)  Medical treatment and any associated aftercare of a child born with the external genitalia of a female and a chromosomal structure of a male or medical treatment of a child born with the external genitalia of a male and a chromosomal structure of a female;

 (iii)  Treatment of a child who develops, in whole or in part, one (1) or more characteristics of the opposite sex, provided the medical treatment and any associated aftercare is intended to ameliorate the characteristic and does not change the sex of the child;

 (iv)  Medical treatment and any associated aftercare necessary for traumatic injuries or life threatening physical diseases or conditions, not including any psychological or emotional conditions.''