The so-called “Arizona Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act" with nine sponsors, attempts to systematically ban lifesaving healthcare for transgender youth in Arizona by prohibiting doctors from providing gender-affirming, while simultaneously allowing the practice of nonconsensual surgeries on intersex youth.

The proposed act is harmful for all youth – its gender essentialist ideas falsely use biology as a superior pre-determinant that defines a person, rather than centering their lived experiences.

It defines “biological sex” as: “the biological indication of male and female in the context of reproductive potential or capacity [invasive and false description of anatomy, chromosomes and hormones] without regard to an individual's psychological, chosen or subjective experience of gender.”

This definition is used to invalidate trans people’s identities, while also suggesting that “biological sex” is an unchangable foundation of who a person is – a notion that reproduces toxic ideas about masculinity and femininity, which are harmful to everyone regardless of their gender.

And it denies the science of how genes, gonads, and hormones keep sex subject to change: “The truth is, your biological sex isn’t carved in stone, but a living system with the potential for change,” Neurobiologist Dr. Simón(e) D Sun writes.

The ‘SAFE’ act also attempts to bar funding to healthcare professionals and organizations that provide gender-affirming services, and prevents trans folks from getting insurance coverage for this healthcare.

This is one of two bills in the state this year, that attempts to strip a child’s autonomy to be who they are, by giving the state and potentially non-supportive parents to make decisions that could harm a child.

Trans youth know who they are, and the legislation’s baseless claims are putting lives at risk: More than half of trans children were at risk of suicide this past year, and access to gender-affirming care is linked to being at lower risk of attempting suicide by nearly 40 percent in transgender and nonbinary youth, Trevor Project found.

AZ HB 2608 was read for the second time on 1st February, 2022.