FRANKFORT, Ky. — The voices of opponents of a bill that effectively bans trans youth in Kentucky from receiving gender transition services moved from the halls of the Capitol Annex to the steps of the House chamber Thursday.
They chanted “trans lives matter,” “shame,” and “vote them out.”
Under House Bill 470, a health care provider would lose their license or certification if they provide Kentucky youth with gender transition services like gender reassignment surgery or puberty-blocking drugs.
Rebecca Blankenship, executive director of Ban Conversion Therapy Kentucky, spoke against the measure in a committee meeting.
“I myself am a transgender woman and I came out 10 years ago, and I can tell you it was a life-saving thing,” she said.
Fischer Wells, a 13-year-old trans girl who testified against a bill last year that banned trans girls from playing on girls’ sports teams, said she received a puberty-blocker implant a few months ago.
“I am in strong opposition to this bill,” she told lawmakers.
Luka Hein of Minnesota, who has spoken on the issue in other states, told lawmakers gender-affirming care permanently harmed her.
“I was affirmed down a path of medical intervention that I could not fully understand the long-term impacts and consequences of, nor fully consent to, due to both my age and my mental health conditions,” she said.
Bill sponsor Rep. Jennifer Decker (R-Waddy) said the bill aims to protect Kentucky’s children from irreparable harm.
“It is only when children are subjected to medicalization, hormones and life-altering surgery, that their mental health worsens,” she said. “It is not good to start with. It worsens with these procedures.”
Other opponents of the bill, called the Do No Harm Act, said it would do just the opposite.
“If you’re trans, you’re trans in your head, in your heart, whether you take medication or not, whether you get surgery or not, whether your state legislature is scared of your happiness or not,” said Rep. Josie Raymond (D, Louisville). “Trans children have always been here, but they didn’t feel safe to tell us who they were and you’re just trying to shut them up again. You will lose this culture war.”
Some Republicans, including Rep. Kim Moser (R-Taylor Mill), voted against the measure, saying it will hurt efforts to address mental health and the health care worker shortage in Kentucky.
“I understand the desire to keep our kids safe from predatory actions, but I don’t think that’s what’s happening,” she said. “I think this is unfortunately shortsighted and discriminatory. It sets Kentucky back decades.”
The bill passed the House by a vote of 75-22. It moves next to the Senate for consideration.