Protecting LGBTQ Youth and Parents’ Rights
The Lexington Herald-Leader recently spotlighted the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals residing in rural Kentucky in an engaging piece, ” ‘We’re from here’: LGBTQ Eastern Kentuckians Foster a Once-Missing Community”. While organizations like Pikeville Pride have advanced acceptance in Eastern Kentucky, the newly passed Senate Bill 150, outlawing gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youth, coupled with a surge in national anti-LGBTQ sentiment and legislation, has complicated life for those living openly in these communities.
In their 2021 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, The Trevor Project reported that LGBTQ+ youth with at least one accepting adult were 40% less likely to report a suicide attempt in the past year. Underscoring an affirming adult’s crucial role in an LGBTQ+ student’s life. In the Lexington Herald-Leader, a former teacher warns, “SB 150 — which bans lessons on gender identity and sexual orientation and stops school districts from requiring teachers use of a student’s preferred pronouns — ‘will illegalize that affirming adult, because you can’t reference it or talk about it.’ This council remains firmly committed to life and to enable adults to be that beacon of support for young individuals navigating their identity.
Governor Beshear Stands with the LGBTQIA Community in Kentucky
Governor Beshear, voicing his concerns on WTQV ABC36, said, “Senate Bill 150 permits excessive government intrusion into personal healthcare matters, stripping parents of their rights to make informed medical decisions for their children. Moreover, it snatches away parents’ freedom to decide how their children should be referred to and addressed.”
Governor Beshear pointed out, “SB150 also transforms teachers and administrators into eavesdroppers obligated to scrutinize student conversations and then confront and question parents and families about students’ behaviors and self-references.”
We stand in solidarity with Governor Beshear’s staunch support of LGBTQIA youth and their families. “I am vetoing Senate Bill 150 because my faith teaches me that all children are God’s children, and Senate Bill 150 poses a threat to Kentucky’s children,” he said. The 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ youth mental health revealed a grim reality: 45% of LGBTQ youth seriously contemplated suicide within the previous year, and almost 1 in 5 transgender youth attempted suicide.
ACLU Kentucky and NCLR File Suit To Protect Parent’s Rights
Organizations like the Kentucky ACLU and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) are fighting back, launching a lawsuit in state court to obstruct the ban on gender transition services.
The ACLU declared, “Senate Bill 150 is a stark illustration of government overreach, placing legislators in the middle of doctor-patient relationships and infringing on parents’ fundamental rights to guide their children’s upbringing. This law bans vital medical care for trans youth in Kentucky, targeting healthcare providers and risking their licensure if they offer such care to minors.”
NCLR adds, “Anti-LGBTQ laws like SB 150 are part of a broader national campaign to marginalize trans and nonbinary people. Bills prohibiting essential medical care aren’t rooted in science or best practices and aren’t endorsed by leading major medical groups. These unconstitutional measures are political attacks from groups fundamentally opposed to transgender people living openly, freely, and authentically.”
A hearing for the lawsuit, Doe v. Thornbury, has yet to be scheduled. Stay tuned as we continue to monitor this developing story that affects the rights of our LGBTQ+ youth and the freedom of parents in our community.
