The full text of Amendment 3, which can be found on the websites for both the Missouri Congress and secretary of state are readily available for everyone to read.
I’ve heard a lot of people say that this amendment will legalize sex-changes for minors, which is both absurd and wrong.
Section 3 of this article is one that has been quoted to me, saying it is too broad and would allow sex-changes, as well as section 5 when it comes to penalizing such sex-changes. With that being said, let’s not confuse reproductive freedom and gender confirmation as they are two different things.
Reproductive freedom is one’s choice to undergo treatment or the discontinuation of treatment for anything obstetric including birth control, fertility treatments like IVF, tubal ligation and abortion. It does not include things like vaginoplasty or phalloplasty, as these are often done by plastic surgeons and/or specialized gynecologists. While it indirectly correlates with reproduction, it is not the focus. Reproductive freedoms and obstetric care focus solely on pregnancy and the prevention of – not gender confirmation. Also, minors in Missouri can’t even make a doctor’s appointment or make decisions about their health without their parents consent, so critical thinking skills here would be nice.
Also, this amendment does not legalize third trimester abortions. It caps the availability for abortions to the point of fetal viability, which is when the fetus can survive outside of the uterus. This is generally around the 24-week mark, barring maldevelopment of the fetus. The third trimester doesn’t begin until 28-weeks of gestation, meaning there is a four-week (one month) gap between the general point of viability and the third trimester.
This amendment solely reverses the current ban on abortion in the state of Missouri. It does not legalize third trimester abortions (see section about fetal viability) and it does not legalize transgender surgery for minors. Do not spread lies about things you don’t like solely because you don’t like them. If you don’t agree with abortion, then just vote no, but don’t lie to others about things they agree with solely because it doesn’t fit your agenda.