The Democratic governor of Wisconsin has vetoed a bill that sought to outlaw gender transition treatments for minors.
The veto from Gov. Tony Evers was expected, according to The Associated Press, as he previously vowed to strike down any proposals from the Republican-controlled Wisconsin legislature that he deems harmful to LGBTQ+ youth.
The bill was passed by the state legislature in October. It would have banned gender transition surgeries, as well as all forms of transition treatment for minors in the Badger State, which includes puberty blockers and hormone treatment using estrogen and testosterone.
"This type of legislation, and the rhetoric beget by pursuing it, harms LGBTQ people and kids’ mental health, emboldens anti-LGBTQ hate and violence, and threatens the safety and dignity of LGBTQ Wisconsinites," Evers wrote in his veto message. "I will veto any bill that makes Wisconsin a less safe, less inclusive, and less welcoming place for LGBTQ people and kids."
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Dozens of people testified at the state Capitol earlier this year during public hearings on the proposal.
Republican supporters of the measure suggested that the opinions of medical professionals regarding gender transition treatments could change in the future and that current treatments could be irreversible.
"While the governor’s veto of this legislation is certainly not surprising, it serves as a stark reminder of just how out of touch with reality Governor Evers is," Republican Sen. Duey Stroebel said in a statement. "Protecting children from invasive and irreversible medical interventions is the right thing to do from both a scientific and ethical standpoint."
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In November, a woman who allegedly self-diagnosed herself as having gender dysphoria as a teenager is suing two Wisconsin surgeons who removed her uterus and breasts, saying they did the procedures without her proper consent.
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At least 22 states have laws similar to the one vetoed by Evers. Many of them also face lawsuits over the measures.
Fox News' Emma Colton and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
