State Rep. Jonah Wheeler (D-Peterborough) wanted his fellow progressives to know why he was joining a bipartisan majority to support a ban on sex-change surgery for minors. So when HB619 came to the House floor, he delivered a speech that the bill’s supporters described as “brave” and “thoughtful” but left many Democrats outraged.“The question before us is whether or not children under the age of 18 should be able to get these surgeries. And despite being a liberal who believes in [trans] rights, I don’t think that is the case.” Wheeler told his fellow House members. “These are irreversible surgeries. This is not a question of whether you’re with the trans community. It’s a question of whether or not you believe children should be able to get these irreversible surgeries.

“I’ll take all the heat that comes from this,” Wheeler added. And he got it, too.