Mexican legislator seeks to ban sex changes for minors

ACI Prensa Staff, Apr 6, 2023 / 16:00 pm (CNA).

State congresswoman Mónica Rodríguez Della Vecchia took to the streets of the city of Puebla, Mexico to raise awareness of the #ConLosNiñosNo (Not with children) campaign promoting her bill that seeks to prohibit sex changes in minors and punish those who force children or adolescents to undergo such procedures.

If passed, Rodríguez’s law calls for one to three years in prison and a fine to be imposed on “whoever makes, conditions, coerces, pressures, or forces a girl, boy, or adolescent to change or modify, through any mechanism of an external, therapeutic, or similar nature, their sexual identity, as opposed to their biological identity.”

Speaking with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, the legislator said: “On Wednesday, March 29, I joined the campaign of the citizen participation platform Actívate, since they promote initiatives that bring benefits to society and the family.”

“It gave me great pleasure to be able to be on the flyer where we were accompanied by young people, people from organized civil society and members of Actívate,” Rodríguez said.

“We were able to explain to people about the initiative that aims to protect our children and adolescents so that no adult can force them to change their sexual identity.”

“We know that in order to make decisions that will impact their lives, they must reach the age of majority and the necessary maturity. This proposal was very well received by society, and so we have to continue promoting it so that the initiative is accepted in the state of Puebla and in turn in Mexico City and Chihuahua,” she noted.

“The idea is to make citizens aware of the importance of protecting children from the risks of potential hormonal and surgical changes, and to invite citizens to join the fight by signing the campaign that is on the Activate platform, so that the initiative of the deputy Mónica Rodríguez is heard,” said Cecilia Urrea, campaign coordinator for the platform.

On Feb. 9, Mexican lawmaker América Rangel of the opposition National Action Party (PAN) introduced a bill in the Mexico City Congress to amend the Law on the Rights of Girls, Boys, and Adolescents of Mexico City.

If passed, those who perform hormonal and surgical sex changes on minors could face penalties ranging from “two to seven years in prison.”

Urrea also pointed out that the campaign in support of Rodriguez’s bill is coupled with a similar one that was introduced in February to back Rangel’s bill, which already has more than 5,000 signatures.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.