‘Republicans fear love’: Supporters of transgender operations occupy Oklahoma capital and demand no age restrictions on operations

About 150 protesters occupied the Oklahoma State Capitol to protest an age limit for transgender operations in the state that was put in place in Invoice SB129 Beginning of January 2023.

The bill prohibits the performance of sex reassignment surgery on anyone under the age of 26 and states that “a physician or other health professional may not provide sex reassignment procedures to anyone under the age of twenty-six (26) years of age.”

Governor Kevin Stitt gave a public state of the state Address in which he stood firmly on the position and said, “We must protect our most vulnerable – our children.”

“After all, minors can’t vote, can’t buy alcohol, can’t buy cigarettes … we shouldn’t allow a minor to have permanent sex-changing surgery in Oklahoma,” the governor added.

Oklahomas for Equality and Freedom Oklahoma were two of the groups present at the protest, sporty characters with messages like “You can’t erase us” and “Things Republicans fear: love, diversity, and acceptance.”

Protesters can be seen on the Capitol floor chanting “Trans Live Matter” while presenting their signs.

The governor also called on lawmakers to ban hormone therapy for minors as well, exclaiming, “That’s why I urge the Legislature to send me a bill banning all sex reassignment surgery and hormone therapy on minors in the state!”

In another video from the Capitol, protesters chanted, “We are Oklahoma!” A protester’s sign read, “We are not a threat so stop targeting us.”

Other demonstrators wore spray-painted T-shirts that read “Trans lives matter” and “Stop the attack.”

Gov. Stitt dismissed the debate as a matter of right and wrong and said he would not be intimidated or persuaded by interest groups.

“As governor, I will never shy away from naming right and wrong. … I will not be intimidated by partisan interest groups or make decisions based on groupthink,” he stated.

“I will continue my responsibility to lead, not follow. … I ran for this office five years ago because I was tired of seeing other states succeed while ours were left behind,” Stitt added.

Accordingly the daily mailActivists called the state law “genocide” and claimed that Oklahomans should have access to transgender operations regardless of their age.

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