Kansas Governor Laura Kelly vetoed SB 233 that bans crucial medically necessary health care for transgender youth. This is the latest anti-LGBTQ bill to be rejected by the governor who vetoed a similar bill targeting gender affirming care last year. Cathryn Oakley HRC Senior Legal Policy Director stated, “We continue to thank Governor Kelly for seeing bills like SB 233 for what they really are: dangerous misinformation & attempts to target vulnerable youth for the sole purpose of riling up anti-LGBTQ+ extremists. If any legislation seeks to ban best practice, medically necessary health care for no purpose other than the person receiving that care is transgender, that is discrimination - plain & simple. Doctors, patients & families – not politicians – should be making health care decisions. As Governor Kelly has made clear with her previous vetoes of other anti-LGBTQ+ bills, discrimination is not in line with Kansan values. Legislators should do the right thing & sustain this veto.” Last year we dealt with over 600 anti LGBTQ bills in states across the country & so far in 2024 we’re dealing with more than 470 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in state legislatures nationwide mostly targeting trans youth. All gender-affirming care is age-appropriate, medically necessary, supported by all major medical organizations, made in consultation with medical & mental health professional & parents. In many cases this care is lifesaving as a recent study from the Trevor Project shows providing data supporting this that transgender youth with access to gender-affirming hormone therapy have lower rates of depression & are at a lower risk for suicide.
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