Episode notes
In this episode of Amendment Three and Me, host Maggie Castry speaks with Leah Hansen, a Missouri attorney and parent of a transgender child. Leah shares her family’s experience navigating gender-affirming care, including counseling, medical evaluations, gender dysphoria, puberty blockers, and the challenges her child faced when access to care became increasingly restricted.
Leah explains why she believes the proposed amendment’s language regarding gender-transition procedures for minors is misleading and could permanently add prohibitions to Missouri’s Constitution. She also discusses the connection between transgender rights and reproductive freedom, arguing that restricting the rights of one group creates a precedent that can threaten everyone’s individual liberties.
The conversation also examines Missouri’s 2024 constitutional protections for reproductive healthcare, the effort to repeal or weaken those protections, and the potential consequences for people seeking abortion care, emergency treatment, and other medical services. Leah shares her own experience with ectopic pregnancies and explains why political interference in personal healthcare decisions can have devastating consequences.
Throughout the episode, Leah encourages Missouri voters to compare the 2024 and 2026 amendment language carefully, look beyond political advertising, and have informed conversations with friends, family, neighbors, and community members.