Gov. Walz signs three bills to ‘protect Minnesotans’ rights’

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - Gov. Tim Walz signed three bills into law.

These new laws will protect rights to access an abortion and gender-affirming care, and ban the practice of conversion therapy in the state.

“These three bills are not completely separate from each other,” said Maria Bevacqua, a Gender & Women’s Studies professor at MSU. “These issues are interconnected.”

The governor was joined by several DFL leaders and advocates for the bills, which are now law, in the signing this morning in St. Paul.

“I don’t know how hard this concept is to understand,” said Gov. Walz. “When someone else is given basic rights others don’t lose theirs we’re not cutting a pie here. We’re giving basic rights to every single Minnesotan right to make the decisions about their own body that they feel is best for them.”

Several cities in Minnesota have already banned the practice of conversion therapy, but the news law creates a statewide ban.

“The conversion therapy ban is about time,” said Bevacqua. “I mean, this is so widely documented to be destructive to young people, to queer people.”

Opponents of the bill argued that it would interfere with the ability of families to seek counseling for children who they say need help sorting out their sexual identities.

Therapist Jenni Kolstad, owner of Pride Counseling Services, says she works with people working to be their true selves.

“The work that we do is very affirming for LGBT folk,” said Kolstad. “So, we are seeking to affirm people’s identities. With conversion therapy, what happens is that therapists are actually trying to get LGBT people to be not LGBT people.”

There is now protection in state law for transgender people, their families and healthcare providers from legal repercussions if they travel to Minnesota to get gender-affirming care.

And the reproductive health law prevents any legal or professional action against healthcare workers who help anyone get an abortion or other reproductive health care.

“The connection between these bills also speaks to the need for solidarity between groups of people who might not experience the same level of marginalization or oppression or attack,” explained Laura Harrison, Dept. Chair of Gender & Women’s Studies at MSU. “[Other groups] are being targeted in similar ways and especially around issues of the ability to make choices about your body”