VICTOR JOECKS: Lombardo mandates coverage of child genital mutilation surgeries

Most Republican governors are protecting children from genital mutilation surgeries. Gov. Joe Lombardo wants state taxpayers to pay for them.

On Monday, Lombardo signed Senate Bill 163, which mandates that Medicaid and insurance companies cover drugs and procedures sought by transgender individuals. That includes children. The bill doesn’t require parental consent for minors with Medicaid. Insurance companies may require it, but it isn’t mandated.

As with most transgender issues, the debate hinges on definitions. The bill is filled with activist doublespeak, such as “gender-affirming care” and “medically necessary treatment.” Those terms sound positive — until you understand what they mean.

“Gender-affirming care” is code for puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. It includes genital mutilation, such as cutting off a boy’s healthy testicles. “Medically necessary” is an illusion, too. Online clinics pump out letters designed to win insurance approval for a fee.Commentator Matt Walsh revealed this recently. One such group approved his producer for testicle removal after a 22-minute video interview and a $150 fee.

Consider the case of Kayla Lovdahl. At 11, she declared she was a boy and started pretending to be one. At 12, she began hormone treatment and puberty blockers. At 13 — five years before she could legally vote — she had a double mastectomy. Just four years later, she detransitioned and sought mental health help.

Now she’s suing — and rightfully so. The doctors and medical staff who should have protected her did irreversible damage. Removing a girl’s healthy breasts in situations such as this is child abuse.

Republicans in nearly 20 states have banned these types of procedures. But Lombardo and legislative Democrats are going to require you to pay for it. Various state and local entities projected this bill will cost millions over the next two years. Perhaps when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is at the Basque Fry this weekend, he can lend Lombardo some of his backbone.

Society has traditionally recognized differences between adults and children. Children undergo numerous physical changes and mature emotionally on the way to adulthood. Laws and social norms protect children from making decisions they may regret later or that could hurt others. That’s why there are age restrictions on driving, smoking, drinking and firearm ownership.

With accepting the premises of radical gender ideology, this bill brushes those concerns aside. These problems are so obvious that even liberal European countries, such as England and Sweden, have age restrictions on transgender hormones and surgeries.

It appears Lombardo did this to win support for subsidizing the A’s new stadium. How pathetic, especially because he now has to pretend he made the right decision. He should listen to Chloe Cole, another destransitioner. She called those who operated on her “child butchers.”

“I was 15 when you cut into my body, ripped out my breasts and stitched me back up like I was your rag doll,” Cole said.

Nevada Democrats believe the government should pay for children to mutilate their genitals, but not for them to attend the school of their choice. Republicans should emphasize this contrast even if it necessitates criticizing Lombardo.

Contact Victor Joecks at vjoecks@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4698. Follow @victorjoecks on Twitter.