Minnesota Passes Bills Protecting Gender-Affirming Care and Banning Conversion Therapy.

The Minnesota Senate has passed three bills to protect gender-affirming care, out-of-state abortion patients and providers, and to ban conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ youth. The conversion therapy ban and trans refuge bills now go straight to Democratic Gov. Tim Walz for his signature. The abortion bill is headed back to the House for its agreement with adding pharmacists to the list of shielded medical providers. Opponents of the conversion therapy ban argued that it would impinge on religious freedom and the ability of families to seek counseling for children who they say need help sorting out their sexual identities.