Rock Bridge High School students walk out, protest transgender medical restrictions

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Rock Bridge High School students walked out of class Wednesday to protest restrictions that would make it harder for transgender people to get medical treatment.

This comes after Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey called for an emergency rule that would go into effect on Thursday. The rule would place certain restrictions on gender-affirming treatments for people of all ages. These restrictions include making it unlawful if the patient:

• Has not been annually assessed for continuous gender dysphoria.
• The patient and/or patient's parents have not been informed of all the alleged harms of hormone therapy.
• Provider fails to ensure that the patient has shown and has medically documented proof of a “long-lasting, persistent and intense pattern” of gender dysphoria for three consecutive years.
• Provider fails to ensure that a patient has received a “full psychological or psychiatric.
• Assessment of 15 separate hourly sessions with a therapist (10 of them have to be with the same therapist). These have to be over the course of no fewer than 18 months.

The ACLU sued Bailey over the rule, and a hearing was held Wednesday. A judge put the emergency rule on hold until at least Monday. One of the plaintiffs named in the ACLU lawsuit is a Columbia teenager.

The walk out was organized by two transgender students, but allowed other students the opportunity to speak as well. Several students who participated emphasized the fact that the state should not be able to determine what can and can't be done to another person's body. One student, Leilani Lynn said that parents should be the only ones to have a say.

"We all come from different places and until we're 18, our parents do play a big role in it, but it should be our parents and our parents alone that do," Lynn said.

Students also said that Bailey needs to educate himself, and that all government officials should keep their opinions to themselves. Jay Castilow said that he will not stop fighting until he is heard.

"I'm just hoping that these government officials see that we are here and we are not gonna let these people destroy us," Castilow said.

Castilow also noted that being transgender is something that everyone should embrace, despite what they identify as and that trying to take away their happiness in being themselves is "truly disgusting."

The walk-out happened at 11:30 a.m. outside the main entrance of the school.