FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councilwoman Emma Curtis read a Bible passage while pleading with Kentucky lawmakers to shoot down Senate Bill 2 on Thursday morning in Frankfort.
Curtis, the city’s first transgender council member, believes people will die if SB 2 passes, which would deny Kentucky prison inmates of their gender affirming care.
“Every single medical organization in the world confirms that hormone therapy for transgender people is medically necessary,” Curtis stated before a panel of state senators. “It is not cosmetic, it is not elective, it is literally lifesaving,” she continued.
Currently, the bill’s sponsor, Republican Senator Mike Wilson said there are 67 inmates accessing hormone therapy in Kentucky, which is something he does not think should be happening at the expense of taxpayers.
“If you're incarcerated you are not entitled to have cross-sex hormones or sex change operations to change your sex from one to another,” Wilson told his colleague during Monday’s committee meeting.
Wilson said there have not been any gender change operations performed on any inmate in Kentucky, but he believes that will happen eventually.
“It’s in their policy, they say they provide those surgeries as well, so it’s a needed bill,” Wilson added.
“It is morally reprehensive that we would deny medically necessary care,” Curtis said after the meeting. “First it was about transgender athletes, then transgender youth, now it’s adult transgender inmates. Soon they'll be coming for everyday trans Kentuckians just trying to live our lives and be parts of our communities."
SB 2 did make it through committee. The full senate will vote on it next, and if it passes it’ll move into the house chamber.
