A Democratic lawmaker in the Texas House of Representatives has cited scientific evidence as the basis for her decision to support a ban on minors receiving transgender medical procedures.

Rep. Shawn Thierry (D-146) issued her statement following the advancement of a bill in the Texas House on Friday, which aims to prohibit transgender procedures for minors in the state. The bill had faced previous obstacles due to procedural actions by Democrats and now requires final approval in a third reading on Monday to proceed further.

Thierry said in her statement that she voted to ban minors from receiving “GnRH-analogs, (i.e. “puberty blockers”), cross sex hormones, and to undergo irreversible surgeries when experiencing gender dysphoria” after talking to constituents and “reviewing the scientific data in this country and around the globe.”

“I am assured that this position is rooted in sound policy which supports the health, development, and overall well-being of minors,” she said.

Thierry pointed out that a majority of adults in the United States support safeguarding minors from activities that may potentially put them at a higher risk of harm, as demonstrated by the existence of various goods or services that have age restrictions in place, the Daily Wire noted.

“This same logic must also apply when approaching the very complex issue of treating gender and body dysphoria in children,” she said.

The Democrat said she received encouragement from many of her constituents to vote in favor of the legislation while encountering opposition from what she described as “hostile activists” from the political Left who urged her to vote against it. She said they made “nasty political threats to influence my vote against the bill,” which included “personal, and even racists, attacks on me as an African American woman.”

Thierry added that she reached her decision on the legislation as a “thoughtful legislator, mother, woman of faith, and child advocate,” adding that her primary concern was “the safety and well-being of all young people over the comfort of political expediency.”

One study she cited said:

…[S]several European countries have taken the lead in reverting to a more cautious approach on the use of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones in minors. Finland now recommends psychotherapy as the first-line treatment for gender-dysphoric youth. Their research highlights the profound lack of knowledge about harms of hormonal treatment in children. The Swedish Health Authority no longer offers GnRH-analogs to minors except in exceptional cases, stating, “the risks of puberty suppressing treatment with GnH-analogues and gender affirming hormonal treatment currently outweigh the possible benefits.”