The Kentucky legislature, controlled by Republicans, has voted to override the governor's veto of a bill that imposes new rules and limitations on transgender young people.
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The bill includes a ban on gender-affirming healthcare, which medical professionals consider crucial. L.G.B.T.Q. advocacy groups have criticized the law as one of the most extreme in the country. Governor Andy Beshear, a Democrat, vetoed the bill on Friday, but the Republican supermajorities in both the State House and Senate overruled the veto.
Originally a narrowly focused bill, it expanded over time to include multiple limitations. The law prohibits surgeries, hormone therapy, and puberty blockers for children under 18.
Additionally, it bars school districts from requiring or suggesting that students use pronouns that don't match their biological sex on their unaltered birth certificates. Doctors are also compelled to halt treatment for patients receiving gender-transition care. If doctors determine that stopping treatment will harm the minor, they may gradually phase out the care over time.
Apart from regulating transgender young people, the legislation also restricts conversations around sexuality in schools. Schools are required to inform parents of any sexuality-related programs, prohibited from teaching sexuality below sixth grade, and barred from discussing sexual orientation or gender identity at any grade level.
This law is one of many introduced by Republican state legislators in recent years that aim to govern and limit the lives of transgender youth. At least ten states have enacted comparable bans on transition care, including Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Tennessee, and Utah.
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