Multiple bills have been introduced in this year’s General Assembly that target transgender young people, their doctors, and their parents.
Putting doctors in jail for treating transgender youth
House Bill 321, introduced by Rep. Savannah Maddox, would make it a felony for a doctor to perform surgeries or prescribe medications to “alter the sex the child was assigned at birth.” In addition, the bill restricts parents’ rights to work with their child about their gender identity.
As noted in this story by the Courier-Journal, it is rare for youth under 18 to have gender-altering surgery. And, most young people spend years in consultations with doctors, counselors, and their family, before beginning to use any medications such as puberty blockers.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has stated that access to puberty blockers helped reduce the risk of suicide attempts among transgender youth. And, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association have both issued guidelines regarding the use of such medications by young people.
Limiting athletic opportunities for trans student-athletes
Senate Bill 114, introduced by Sen. Robby Mills, is entitled the “Save Women’s Sports Act.” Under this bill, high school and college athletes in Kentucky would only be allowed to participate in sports whose gender matches the sex on their birth certificates, rather than their gender identity.
If a student’s participation was challenged based on this bill, they would have to undergo a medical examination by a medical professional, stating that their genitalia matches the sport they are participating in.
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association already has a policy regarding participation in high school sports by trans-gender students. The policy says that students may participate if they have already had sex-reassignment surgery, or they have taken hormone therapy for a long-enough time to “minimize gender-related advantages in sports competition.”
Another bathroom bill
House Bill 132, sponsored by Rep. David Hale, requires students to use restrooms that match the sex recorded on their birth certificate.
The bill is entitled the Kentucky Student Privacy Act, and is focused on the “embarrassment, shame, and psychological injury” that non-trans students could suffer by using the same restroom or dressing room as a trans-gender student.
The bill also states that if a student’s parent certifies to the school that the student is trans-gender, the school must provide “the best available accommodation,” as long as it is not a bathroom opposite their birth gender. Such accommodation could include a single-stall bathroom, for example, or use of a dressing room without other students present.
The school is responsible for ensuring that the law is enforced. If they don’t, other students can take legal action against the school.
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