But Hall emphasized that these forms of care are—contrary to misinformation spread by the state’s lawyers—not only scientifically proven to be safe and effective, they are also essentially identical to forms of medical care offered to cisgender (non-trans) young people. For example, puberty blockers, which temporarily halt the advance of adolescence, are commonly prescribed to young cisgender girls undergoing “precocious” puberty. These same drugs also allow trans kids to make more deliberate choices about their bodies as they age into adulthood.

The reason that this law exists is to hurt children, not protect them.