Republican Arkansas Attorney General and Lieutenant Governor-elect Leslie Rutledge defended a ban on gender transition surgeries for minors, saying that it is meant to protect children.
Speaking to Fox News' John Roberts, Rutledge said that "we're only wanting to protect the children in the state of Arkansas, again, from making a life-altering, permanent decision such as changing their gender.
"This is a law that we passed in order to protect children, this is to protect minors," Rutledge added.
The Save Adolescents From Experimentation (SAFE) Act would ban gender transition procedures for anyone under the age of 18. The law was passed by the state legislature but is currently held up in court due to a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
"We want these children to have access to mental healthcare. What we don't want are for adults to allow those children to make a life-altering, permanent decision," Rutledge added.
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