Lawmakers in the US state of Texas voted yesterday Wednesday in favor of legislation banning gender reassignment treatments for minors, while Florida Governor Ron DeSandis signed a similar bill.

The bills, which were adopted in the two Republican states, are a new example of the American conservatives’ attack on the rights of the LGBTI+ community.

In Texas the bill prohibits doctors from offering sex reassignment treatments, whether it’s hormone therapy or surgery. An exception is provided for minors who are already undergoing this type of treatment, but they too will have to gradually “stop”.

To become law, the bill must be signed by Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, a seemingly formal process given his views on the matter.

Last year Abbott asked his state agencies to investigate the parents of children receiving sex-change therapy, equating it to abuse. This led several families to leave the state.

If the bill is passed, Texas, the second most populous US state, would become the largest US state to adopt the policy. But she’s not the only one.

DeSandis, governor of Florida, the third most populous state in the US, yesterday signed into law a bill, which was passed in early May, which bans hormone therapy and surgical sex reassignment for minors.

The Republican compared these medical procedures to “mutilation.”

“This is an attack on freedom,” complained Joe Saunders of Equality Florida, an association that defends the rights of LGBTI+ people. “Free states do not take away from parents the right to decide what treatments their children receive,” he added.

A total of 15 states in the US have adopted similar restrictions. Other legislation prohibits the discussion of gender in schools and the use of gender-neutral pronouns by minors.

Conversely, Democratic states have pledged to be a “sanctuary” for transgender minors.