Summary: Healthcare providers are prohibited from performing any sort of gender transition procedures on minors.
Analysis: The Delaware Save Adolescents From Experimentation (SAFE) Act seeks to safeguard the health and well-being of children by prohibiting gender transition procedures on minors. It seeks to shield children from irrevocable harm, by restristricting medical procedures that still lack any sort of long-term safety studies and carry significant risks.
The SAFE Act’s definition of “biological sex” acknowledges the intrinsic reality of male and female as created by God, independent of subjective feelings or societal trends. While compassion is essential in responding to those experiencing gender dysphoria, Scripture calls us to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Encouraging acceptance of one’s God-given sex honors the Creator and reflects the Biblical understanding that our bodies are not arbitrary but divinely purposed.
Many children who experience some level of gender confusion will come to embrace their biological sex in adolescence or adulthood naturally. Rather than rushing into life-altering procedures, this law encourages patience, allowing time for children to go through the necessary emotional and psychological development to make lifelong decisions.
This bill provides a legal framework to prevent exploitation. Actuallly performing the procedures, or referring them out to other medical professionals to do so, counts as ‘unprofessional conduct’ under SB 55. They will be subject disciplinary action from their licensing board that is in accordance with said conduct. Individuals may take legal action up to 20 years after reaching adulthood, as opposed to the typical 2 year statute of limitations.
It further prevents health insurance plans in Delaware from covering or providing any reimbursement for gender procedures performed on minors. All of these efforts are to hold medical professionals accountable for the great deal of harm that is done to minors through gender mutilation.