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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.

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In this episode of Amendment 3 and Me, Taylor talks with Cammie Storm, a transgender advocate and community organizer from West Plains, Missouri. Cammie shares her personal transition story, including the loneliness of navigating healthcare in a rural community and the transformative experience of finally being able to live openly and authentically.

The conversation explores the connection between reproductive rights and trans rights, emphasizing how privacy in the doctor’s office and the freedom to make personal medical decisions affect everyone. Cammie explains why she believes Amendment 3 could have consequences beyond abortion access, including potential effects on transgender healthcare, mental healthcare, and the ability of patients, parents, and medical professionals to make informed decisions.

Cammie and Taylor also discuss the unique challenges facing LGBTQ+ people in rural Missouri, the importance of community support, limited access to sexual education and contraception, and the role of misinformation in conversations about trans healthcare. Cammie offers practical advice for discussing Amendment 3: focus on the facts, read the measure carefully, and be willing to learn alongside others.

This episode is a conversation about healthcare privacy, gender-affirming care, rural LGBTQ+ communities, and why bodily autonomy is an issue that affects every person in Missouri.

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In this episode of Amendment 3 and Me, host Maggie Castry speaks with Joan Gentry, a retired teacher and member of the League of Women Voters of Missouri. Joan explains the League’s nonpartisan approach to public policy, how its positions on reproductive rights are developed, and why the organization continues to advocate for bodily autonomy, privacy, contraception, abortion access, and reproductive justice.

Joan also discusses the League’s opposition to the proposed Amendment 3, including concerns about limits on abortion care, unclear protections for fetal anomalies and the life of the pregnant patient, potential criminal penalties for physicians, and the broader impact of reproductive-health restrictions on Missouri families.

The conversation also addresses gender-affirming care, public education, family planning, health-insurance coverage, and the importance of giving voters clear, fact-based information before they cast their ballots. Joan emphasizes the need to make these issues personal, listen to people’s experiences, and understand how policy decisions affect families throughout Missouri.

Learn more about the League of Women Voters of Missouri at lwvmo.org.