Topline
The Kansas state legislature approved a bill Friday that will ban gender-affirming care for all minors—as an expected veto by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly will likely be overridden by the Republican-led House and Senate—following efforts in other states that have passed similar bills targeting transgender access and health care over the last week.
Gov. Laura Kelly (D) said she would reject bills targeting LGBTQ rights.
Key Facts
The Kansas Child Mutilation Act will require the state’s medical board to revoke the licenses of doctors who provide gender-affirming care to minors, including gender-reassignment surgeries, hormone therapy and drugs that block puberty.
If Kelly—who said she would reject any bill “that aims to harm or discriminate” the state’s LGBTQ community— vetoes the measure, it is likely to be overridden, as Republicans hold a supermajority in both the House and Senate.
On Wednesday, the state legislature overrode Kelly’s veto of a bill that bans transgender female athletes from participating in school sports.
The state Senate also approved a bill Tuesday that would prevent transgender people from changing the gender on their driver’s licenses and from accessing bathrooms, locker rooms and other facilities that match their gender identity.
The state legislature has also approved a “parent’s rights” bill Thursday that would allow a parent to opt their children out of public school lessons that “impairs the parent’s sincerely held beliefs, values or principles.”
Kansas is the third state—and the 15th overall—in the last week to approve similar bills banning gender-affirming care, following Indiana on Wednesday and Idaho on Tuesday.
Key Background
Restrictions on gender-affirming care have been approved in a growing list of states in recent months, as Kansas joins Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Arizona, Utah, South Dakota, Iowa, West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee to approve similar bans. The state is also joined by Arkansas and Kentucky in banning transgender students from using school bathrooms that match their gender identity. The American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics have argued against the bans, noting the treatments are often necessary because transgender children face higher rates of depression and suicide.
Tangent
The Biden Administration proposed new regulations Thursday that would prevent state bans preventing transgender athletes from participating in school sports, though it included a significant loophole that would allow school teams to develop their own policies. The Education Department said restrictions should only be used for highly competitive sports at the high school or college levels, as elementary and middle school sports are generally more focused on “basic skills in physical fitness, leadership and teamwork.”
Section Title
Indiana Becomes 14th State To Ban Gender-Affirming Care—Despite GOP Governor’s Concerns About ‘Vagueness’ (Forbes)
Kentucky Becomes 12th State To Ban Gender-Affirming Care After GOP Lawmakers Override Governor’s Veto (Forbes)
White House Backs New Rule Blocking Trans Athlete Bans—With A Major Exception (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2023/04/07/kansas-approves-ban-on-gender-affirming-care-likely-next-state-to-join-wave-of-state-restrictions/