Kentucky legislature overrides Gov. Beshear's veto of Senate Bill 150, critics say it's anti-LGBTQ

FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — The Kentucky legislature has voted to override Governor Andy Beshear's veto on a bill that includes a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth.

Senate Bill 150 passed the override in a 29-8 vote, and the House passed it in a 76-23 vote. The bill will go into effect in late June.

In a statement, the ACLU called it "another shameful attack" on LGBTQ youth in Kentucky:

"SB 150 protects our youth from irreversible procedures," said Attorney General Daniel Cameron in a statement. "[Governor] Beshear vetoed this bill because he is beholden to the far left. Today, his veto was overridden. I stand ready to defend this law and protect the well-being of our most precious resource, our children."

Prior to the vote, many protesters against the bill were escorted out by police.

According to the bill, a healthcare provider "shall not, for the purposes of attempting to alter the appearance of, or to validate a minor's perception of, the minor's sex, if that appearance or perception is inconsistent with the minor's sex."

The bill says if a healthcare provider administers care outside of specified exceptions, their license could be revoked. It also allows for any "civil action to recover damages for injury suffered as a result of a violation."

Another portion of the bill says students would not be allowed to use restrooms, locker rooms, or shower rooms that are "reserved for students of a different biological sex," but it does allow students to seek different "acceptable accommodations" like single-stall restrooms with parental permission.

The bill also says the Kentucky Board of Education or the Kentucky Department of Education shall not require or recommend policies or procedures for the use of pronouns that do not match the student's gender on their original birth certificate, regardless of their pronoun preference.

Those who support SB 150 believe children should not be making such radical choices about their bodies.

"We need to fix the mental part of the child, not the physical part. A 13-year-old doesn’t know what they what. Don’t even know what they want to be when they grow up," said Mirna Eads with Moms for Liberty.

Opponents say it denies basic human rights. State Senator Karen Berg's son died by suicide just a few months ago. He identified as a trans man.

"I want everyone at home to know even if you’re alone or isolated these people showed up on Wednesday morning because they care," said Mason Chernosky, who is against SB 150.