Kansas governor rejects Republican-supported prohibition on gender-affirming treatment for transgender youth

TOPEKA, Kan. — On Tuesday, Kansas’ Democratic governor exercised her veto power against a Republican-led initiative that sought to prohibit gender-affirming care for transgender minors.

Governor Laura Kelly’s decision came as no surprise, as she had previously rejected two similar legislative proposals. The current bill aimed to eliminate not only gender-affirming surgeries but also hormone therapies and puberty blockers for minors. Furthermore, it sought to prohibit state employees who work with children from advocating for any form of social transition.

This legislative trend is not isolated, as at least 26 other states have enacted restrictions regarding gender-affirming care for minors. Votes from the previous month indicated that proponents of the Kansas ban possess the necessary supermajorities within the legislature to potentially override Kelly’s veto. Brandon Woodard, the House Minority Leader, representing a district in the Kansas City area, has acknowledged this possibility and stated that opponents of the ban will seek intervention from state courts.

Advocates for the ban assert that such measures are necessary to safeguard vulnerable youth from what they characterize as an extreme ideology surrounding gender identity. In contrast, many transgender adolescents and their families argue that access to gender-affirming care significantly reduces feelings of depression and the risk of suicidal behavior.

In her veto message, Governor Kelly criticized lawmakers for what she interpreted as encroachment on parental rights and an infringement upon medical decision-making processes regarding the welfare of children.