In a move that will drastically alter the medical landscape for transgender youth in Kansas, the Republican-controlled legislature voted on Tuesday to override Democratic Governor Laura Kelly’s veto of Senate Bill 63, effectively banning gender-affirming care for minors. The legislation places Kansas among roughly two dozen states that have enacted similar restrictions, despite significant opposition from medical professionals and LGBTQ+ advocacy groups.
The ban prohibits health care providers from administering puberty blockers, hormone therapy, or gender-affirming surgeries to individuals under the age of 18. It also imposes severe penalties on providers who violate the law, including the potential loss of their medical licenses. Furthermore, the law prohibits the use of state funds for any psychological treatment related to gender transition, raising concerns that transgender youth will not only be denied medical support but also mental health resources crucial to their well-being.
Governor Kelly’s Defense of Transgender Rights
Governor Kelly had previously vetoed the bill, arguing that decisions about a child’s medical care should be left to parents and medical professionals—not politicians.
“Infringing on parental rights is not appropriate, nor is it a Kansas value,” Kelly stated in her veto message. “It is not the job of politicians to stand between a parent and a child who needs medical care of any kind.”
Despite her efforts to protect transgender youth and their families, the legislature secured the necessary two-thirds majority to override her veto. The votes passed 31-9 in the Senate and 85-34 in the House, cementing the bill into law.
The Broader Political Landscape
The Kansas ban aligns with a national trend in which Republican-led legislatures have prioritized restricting gender-affirming care. President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order attempting to end federal support for gender transition care for individuals under 19, reinforcing the movement at the national level. Senate President Ty Masterson (R) applauded the Kansas law as part of this broader shift, declaring, “Today, a supermajority of the Kansas Senate declared that Kansas is no longer a sanctuary state.”
Similar efforts have played out in other states, including Ohio, where lawmakers overrode a Republican governor’s veto to pass restrictions on gender-affirming care. The Kansas ban, however, extends beyond medical care by limiting the ability of state employees, including teachers and school counselors, to discuss social transitioning with students. Critics fear this could further marginalize transgender youth by preventing them from accessing safe and affirming environments outside of their homes.
Implications for Transgender Youth and Their Families
For transgender minors currently receiving treatment, the law sets a deadline of December 31 for physicians to discontinue any ongoing care. Medical professionals and advocacy groups warn that abruptly cutting off access to puberty blockers and hormone therapy could have dire consequences, including increased risks of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation among transgender youth.
“We know children and adolescents lack the emotional and cognitive maturity to consent to treatment that may have lifelong consequences,” argued Rep. Angela Stiens (R) during the floor debate, echoing rhetoric frequently used to justify bans on transgender health care.
However, LGBTQ+ advocacy groups argue that denying access to gender-affirming care contradicts expert medical consensus. Organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and the Endocrine Society have repeatedly affirmed that gender-affirming care is safe, effective, and, in many cases, life-saving.
“The Kansas legislature has prioritized politics over people,” said D.C. Hiegert, a legal fellow at the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas. “It’s just really frustrating to see a small number of people in power continually introduce bills that target this community that has done nothing wrong, that are just trying to exist in our state like every other Kansan.”
Legal Challenges and Future Impacts
Legal experts suggest the law may face significant constitutional challenges, particularly under equal protection arguments, as it specifically prohibits hormone treatments for transgender minors while allowing them for cisgender youth with other medical conditions.
House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard (D), the first openly LGBTQ+ lawmaker in Kansas party leadership, emphasized the likelihood of court challenges.
“I believe that anyone impacted would have a case, and we’ll have to see how it plays out in court,” Woodard said.
Advocacy organizations such as Equality Kansas and the Campaign for Southern Equality have already begun mobilizing to support affected families. The Trans Youth Emergency Project, which has previously assisted families in states with similar bans, is expanding into Kansas to provide financial aid and logistical support for those seeking care elsewhere.
A Growing Climate of Fear
One of the most contentious aspects of the new law is its vague language regarding social transitioning. The bill states that “a state employee whose official duties include the care of children shall not, while engaged in those official duties, promote the use of social transitioning.”
This language has alarmed educators, school counselors, and mental health professionals, many of whom worry that affirming a transgender child’s pronouns or chosen name could now be interpreted as illegal conduct. Will Rapp, managing director for the Kansas chapter of the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), condemned the provision.
“Our legislators voting for this bill refuse to have an extended conversation with a trans person, young or old,” Rapp said. “They are operating on irrational fear and, in turn, creating fear and anxiety for some of our most vulnerable citizens.”
The Bottom Line
While Republican lawmakers celebrate the bill as a victory for conservative values, its passage leaves many transgender youth and their families facing an uncertain future. As Kansas joins the growing list of states imposing harsh restrictions on transgender rights, families with transgender children may be forced to seek care in other states or move altogether.
“In an effort to ‘protect children,’ this legislature has instead chosen to put many of them in harm’s way,” said one parent, whose 16-year-old daughter has been receiving hormone therapy for over a year. “We are terrified. This law does nothing but create suffering.”
Kansas’ latest measure underscores the national battle over transgender rights, with ripple effects that will be felt for years to come. As legal challenges loom, the fate of transgender youth in Kansas remains precarious, with families bracing for the next phase of their fight for dignity, autonomy, and medical care.
