WASHINGTON—South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem yesterday signed into law legislation that restricts access to life-altering puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and experimental procedures for children under 16.

Jay Richards, director of the DeVos Center for Life, Religion, and Family at The Heritage Foundation, made the following statement:

“The tragic story of Chloe Cole—who identified as transgender and submitted to surgery she later regretted—should be an alarm to all parents. Gender ideologues have infiltrated the federal government, the medical industry, and many of our public schools. They are promoting a harmful ideology that creates confusion and distress in children.

“There’s no solid scientific evidence that the benefits of these so-called ‘treatments’ exceed the risks for children with gender distress. And yet gender ideologues push such kids into a school-to-sterilization pipeline—kids who are not old enough to understand the permanent damage this can do to their bodies and minds.

“South Dakota should be commended for stepping up and protecting children from these experimental drugs and operations. More states should follow suit and empower parents to push back against this quack medicine.”