Washington Republicans Vote To Increase Hormone Access, But Not Because They Support Trans People

Sens. Wagoner and Muzzall would like the record to reflect that they did not pass this legislation to be a good ally!

In a historic move, the Washington State Senate passed House Bill 1971 — the first of its kind in the nation — to expand access to hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The legislation requires medical insurance companies to cover HRT prescriptions for up to a year at a time, rather than limiting patients to just a month’s supply. It’s a win for anyone who relies on consistent access to hormone medication, including transgender Washingtonians.

What’s more surprising? A handful of Republicans actually voted for it.

Despite the bill’s clear connection to gender-affirming care, it passed the Senate on a 40-9 vote, with a narrow majority of Republicans voting in favor. Among them: Sens. Matt Boehnke (R-Kennewick), Perry Dozier (R-Walla Walla), Keith Goehner (R-Dryden), Paul Harris (R-Vancouver), Jeff Holy (R-Spokane), Curtis King (R-Yakima), Ron Muzzall (R-Oak Harbor), Mark Schoesler (R-Ritzville), Keith Wagoner (R-Sedro Woolley), and Judy Warnick (R-Moses Lake).

But let's not wrap these "allies" in pride flags just yet.

Several Republicans were quick to distance themselves from the trans community, clarifying that their support had nothing to do with gender-affirming care.

“I think it’s unfortunate that in the court of public opinion and on social media, this bill kind of got inflamed on the fringes because it does address, as the good chair called it, ‘gender affirming care,’” Wagoner said on the floor Wednesday. “That is such a small part of what this bill does that I feel like it should not be considered.”

Wagoner explained that his support stemmed from personal experience: his daughter, a brain cancer survivor, needs lifelong HRT after her pituitary gland was destroyed. He described the unnecessary suffering she endures when her prescription lapses, which seems to "inevitably" happen just before long weekends or while waiting for a doctor to return from vacation.

“She suffers without it,” Wagoner said. “...And I think [this bill] is going to alleviate a lot of suffering.”

Muzzall offered a similar disclaimer, emphasizing that his support wasn’t an endorsement of trans rights.

“Let’s be perfectly clear: the vast majority of individuals on hormonal therapy are cancer survivors, post-menopausal women — there’s a whole list, which the good chair covered,” Muzzall said, careful to avoid being mistaken for an ally.

Republicans have made it clear where they stand this session. Many of these same Republicans went to bat for the so-called “Parents Bill of Rights,” which is rooted in the baseless conspiracy theory that public schools are coercing students into transitioning.

Still, the Senate’s vote stands in contrast to the House, where not a single Republican supported the bill when it passed last month. That party-line opposition prompted strong words from Rep. Nicole Macri (D-Seattle), the bill’s prime sponsor.

“If you need medical treatment for any reason, losing that access to treatment can be catastrophic. I’m seeing extremists who are using hate to divide us, and they are singling out a particular vulnerable population, transgender people in our state. When you need a prescription, you should be able to get it, and that’s what this bill does.”

While any elected official with a heart should pledge their unflinching support to trans people, the intent of these Republicans matters very little compared to the positive impact the bill will have on so many Washingtonians, cis and trans alike.