Missouri pro-life amendment may be boosted by ban on 'gender' procedures for minors

A new poll indicates that an upcoming ballot measure seeking to undo Missouri's pro-abortion Amendment 3, passed in 2024, may obtain much of its support for its provision forbidding "gender transition surgeries," cross-sex hormones, and puberty blockers for minors.

The Missouri Independent reported on Tuesday, "A ban on gender-affirming treatments for minors appears to be the strongest selling point in a Missouri ballot measure that would outlaw abortion, according to a new poll that suggests the issue could be key to persuading voters to back it."

Key Takeaways:

• A Saint Louis University/YouGov poll found that most respondents disagreed with both gender transition drugs and surgical transition procedures for minors, which are listed in a proposed amendment that also contains provision restricting abortion.

• The provisions restricting abortion are far less popular than the provisions banning 'gender-affirming care' for minors.

• According to the poll, "60% of Missourians support allowing an abortion before the eighth week of pregnancy and 47% support it up to the 12th week."

• However, 67% of respondents objected to providing gender-transition drugs to minors and 73% of respondents rejected surgical transition procedures for minors.

The Details:

The recently published poll, a collaboration between Saint Louis University (SLU) and YouGov, was conducted in February among registered voters in Missouri. It sought voters' mindsets toward health policy and abortion access.

A proposal, set to be featured as Amendment 3 (as was the 2024 pro-abortion amendment), is summed up as below by Ballotpedia:

A "yes" vote supports amending the Missouri Constitution to:

• repeal the constitutional right to reproductive freedom, which voters ratified in 2024;

• prohibit abortions except in cases of "medical emergency, fetal anomaly, rape, or incest," and permit abortions in cases of rape or incest only through 12 weeks of gestation; 

• prohibit gender transition surgeries for minors, as well as the prescription or administration of cross-sex hormones or puberty-blocking drugs to minors, with an exception for treatments "unrelated to the purpose of a gender transition;" and make other changes.

The proposed amendment holds 47% support compared to 40% opposition. But the portion of the amendment that bans minors from obtaining puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and gender-transition surgeries obtained widespread support while the portion restricting abortion garnered less support.

The poll indicated:

• 67% of respondents objected to providing gender-transition drugs to minors.

• 73% of respondents rejected surgical transition procedures for minors.

Missouri has a law, implemented in 2023, that bans minors from obtaining transgender procedures/drugs, including both medications and surgical procedures. Legislation meant to eliminate the law’s 2027 sunset clause has already cleared the Missouri House and is now pending consideration in the state Senate.

The Missouri Independent pointed out:

Some provisions of the amendment, which would ban most abortions except in cases of rape, incest or to save a mother’s life, are very unpopular, the poll shows. Almost 60% of Missourians support allowing an abortion before the eighth week of pregnancy and 47% support it up to the 12th week.

The poll found disparities along both age and education lines. Hoodline reported:

Voters 18 to 29 backed the ban-style question at roughly 49%, while voters 30 to 44 showed the highest level of opposition, with about 47% against it. Educational attainment was another strong dividing line: respondents without a college degree leaned toward supporting Amendment 3, while those with college degrees leaned against it.

This aligns with other, more broad polling, confirming that those with less formal education trend more pro-life than those with more formal education.

Commentary:

In response to the survey results,  Steven Rogers, an assistant professor of political science at St. Louis University and director of the SLU/YouGov poll told the Missouri Independent: 

“I think the fight that we’re going to see in the airwaves and in the rhetoric from the people supporting the amendment is really going to be about gender-affirming care, even though, by statute, it’s not going to make an effective change.” 

As for the measure’s relation to abortion, Rogers added:

“I bet the people against the amendment are going to basically highlight the abortion side, and the people in favor of the amendment are going to probably say the previous amendment went too far.” 

The Bottom Line:

Voters may be inclined to tolerate serious injustice (killing the unborn up to certain weeks and in certain cases) because they strongly back limitations regarding transgender procedures for minors. Committed pro-lifers must not fall into such a trap and be content with a political “deal” that exchanges one class of vulnerable persons for another.

Pro-lifers in Missouri should reinforce the legitimate desire to protect minors from experimental gender procedures, while reaffirming the importance of the sanctity of the lives of all unborn children.