An Arkansas teenager who is receiving hormone therapy says a state ban on such treatments could force he and his family to leave the sate
over a state ban on gender affirming care for children, 17-year-old Dylan Brandt said Wednesday that his life has been transformed by the hormone therapy he's receiving and banning the treatment in Arkansas could force his family to leave.
“My outside finally matches the way I feel on the inside," he said. “I have my days, but for the most part this has changed my life for the better. I can look in the mirror and be OK with the way I look and it feels pretty great." Arkansas was the first state to enact such a ban on gender affirming care, with Republican lawmakers in 2021 overriding GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s veto of the legislation. Hutchinson, who had signed other restrictions on transgender youths into law, said the prohibition went too far by cutting off the care for those currently receiving it.The state has argued that the prohibition is within its authority to regulate the medical profession.
Dr. Kathryn Stambough, the clinic's current medical director, said there are 81 patients still receiving hormone therapy. Dr. Michele Hutchison, the clinic's former medical director, said a letter the hospital sent to families about the change cited concerns that the state law might take effect in the near future.“My fear is that a lot of these patients will find ways to get these medications and they'll be doing so without the care of a physician," she said.
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