US: Arkansas governor vetoes transgender youth treatment ban

The veto follows pleas from paediatricians, social workers and parents, but could be overridden by legislators.

Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson has vetoed legislation that would have made his state the first to ban gender-confirming treatments or surgery for transgender youth, although legislators could enact the restriction over his objections. The Republican governor rejected legislation that would have prohibited doctors from providing gender-confirming hormone treatment, puberty blockers or surgery to anyone under 18 years old, or from referring them to other providers for the treatment. It comes as several US states have passed laws activists say limit the rights of transgender people, mostly focusing on participation in school sports consistent with their gender identity.