For short legislative session, could Ky GOP stop tormenting transgender children? | Opinion

As the world noted Pope Francis’ surprising announcement that the Catholic Church should not support treating homosexuality as a crime, the New York Times produced a roundup of an unprecedented amount of legislation targeted at LGBTQ people, mostly transgender children, all over the country.

Top among them was Missouri, where legislators have filed all manner of discriminatory bills, many of them aimed at transgender children. Texas is second with 15 bills, followed by South Carolina at 12.

“The bills they have proposed — more than 150 in at least 25 states,” the Times writes, “include bans on transition care into young adulthood; restrictions on drag shows using definitions that could broadly encompass performances by transgender people; measures that would prevent teachers in many cases from using names or pronouns matching students’ gender identities; and requirements that schools out transgender students to their parents.”

Republican politicians see it as a winner, (although as the Times pointed out, these efforts did not really transfer to much victory in the mid-term election results). But like another boogeyman, critical race theory, it provokes extraordinary anger and fear in people who are barely affected.

Last spring, Kentucky passed a bill that prohibits transgender girls from competing in girls’ sports, stopping hordes of transgender girls wanting to dominate our sports teams. Oh wait, it was actually one student, in the figure of 13-year-old Fischer Wells, who wanted to play field hockey, with the approval of her school and district. What a proud moment for the six white male sponsors, including Sen. Robby Mills, who has pushed the bill for years, and Sen. Max Wise, who is hoping to be our next lieutenant governor.

They probably are proud to have attacked a 13-year-old child who has never done anything to them, but all in all, it was a deeply humiliating moment for the state of Kentucky.

Bad for business

For the upcoming session, there are only three bills aimed at hurting transgender children filed and we must hope it stays that way under the leadership of people like Senate President Robert Stivers and House Speaker David Osborne, who appear less interested in social hot buttons like bullying children and more in policy issues.

“I think more reasoning minds are aware it’s a short session, and priorities should be given to our most urgent needs and restricting the rights of LGBTQ people should not be our highest priority,” said Chris Hartman, director of the state’s Fairness Campaign.

House Taliban Caucus Chairwoman Savannah Maddox has filed House Bill 120, which would ban all gender transition procedures to anyone under 18. Rep. Bill Wesley has filed House Bill 30, yet another bathroom bill. And House Bill 58 would allow medical providers to refuse to treat patients if it goes against their conscience, which might include transgender care.

While these folks must think it’s fun to pick on the vulnerable, let’s hope leadership reins them in, and we don’t see a flurry of new bills when the General Assembly reconvenes next month. First, it’s despicable that so-called Christians in our legislature would demonize children in this way.

Second, well, let’s let the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, hardly a progressive or “woke” group explain: “Kentucky’s business community is focused on succeeding in today’s competitive marketplace— locally, regionally, and globally,” the Chamber said in a statement. “The Chamber discourages any discriminatory legislation that would hinder any individual’s or organization’s desire to do business in or with the Commonwealth. The Chamber’s mission is to foster a positive environment that enables business growth in Kentucky, and we believe such legislation to be bad for business.”

Hartman serves on a committee for Louisville Tourism and says it’s clear that people have declined to use Kentucky as a venue because of this kind of legislation.

“We’re losing dollars,” he said. “This is the first cut of consideration for many groups.”

Here is Lexington, VisitLex President Mary Quinn Ramer said that she can think of at least half a dozen groups that have declined to schedule events because of anti-LGBTQ legislation.

“They say, we would take a look at you, but unfortunately the unwelcoming nature of the state is going to prohibit us from considering you in the RFP process,” she said. “Kentucky’s reputation is warm and welcoming so this is totally the opposite of that spirit we’ve been known for. I just don’t like anything about someone feeling unwelcome and there are economic benefits we lose out on because of that.”

Humanity

Then there is the humanity. The debates over transgender care are incredibly complex and far too emotional for politics. Transgender people, especially transgender children, are not hurting anyone. Like everyone else, they’re trying to make their way in the world, and thanks to politicians like Sen. Robby Mills and Max Wise, they’re having a hard time doing so. The American Academy of Pediatrics found that among non-binary youth, 41.8 percent of respondents stated that they had attempted suicide at some point in their lives.

Think about Henry Berg-Brousseau, the 24-year-old transgender son of one of their Senate colleagues, Sen. Karen Berg of Louisville. Berg-Brousseau died by suicide in December.

“As the mother of a transgender son, I gave my whole heart trying to protect my child from a world where some people and especially some politicians intentionally continued to believe that marginalizing my child was OK simply because of who he was,” Berg wrote in a public statement after her son’s death. “This lack of acceptance took a toll on Henry. He long struggled with mental illness, not because he was trans but born from his difficulty finding acceptance.”

Personally, I don’t know how anyone could listen to this grieving mother and plow ahead with bills like these. I don’t know how Mills or Wesley or Maddox, or any of the rest, all loudly professing Christians, will be able to look Sen. Berg in the eye in the upcoming session. Or look at themselves in the mirror.

The national suicide prevention hotline has recently been changed to a three-digit suicide and crisis hotline. It is available 24/7 and can be reached by dialing 988. More information can be found at 988lifeline.org. Any young LGBTQ person can call The Trevor Project’s 24-hour crisis hotline at 1-866-488-7386, and transgender people of any age can call the Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860.