What is wrong about Senate Bill 233
By Kim Allison
When considering bills that claim to take a moral stand, it is wise to remember that legislation, when divorced from compassion for those affected by it, becomes an exercise in cruelty – especially if they are an unrepresented minority.
Senate Bill 233, eliminating gender-affirming care in Kansas, proposes to protect minors from "any physical, psychological, emotional or physiological harms" through several measures that demonstrably enact those very effects on the population they claim to want to protect.
The most crucial concession the legislature made in reworking SB 233 was to include a medication-weaning period for youth under pediatric endocrinologists' care. This compassionate use clause convinced several Senators to change their vote, including Brenda Dietrich (R-Topeka), who said, "not stopping therapy immediately" and "changes to allow for a gradual reduction" helped her vote yes.
For young people who have been undergoing medical treatment for gender dysphoria for several years but have not yet turned eighteen, there is no humane way to discontinue the treatment. These individuals no longer physically, mentally or emotionally identify with their birth gender. They have been living as their preferred gender in their schools, homes and communities since their middle school years. Ceasing the treatment is cruel and can only cause harm to the very people this legislation claims to want to protect.
Another aspect of SB 233 is the prohibition of state employees from supporting a youth's social transition – a direct harm to the young individuals that conservatives claim to want to help. This constraint means that teachers, counselors, social workers and other important people in a young person's life are denied the right to use the youth's chosen pronouns or names or allow them to dress in a way that matches their gender identity. This prohibition is an unacceptable infringement on the rights of young people who are simply trying to live as their authentic selves and educators who want to provide a safe and welcoming environment that all youth need.
The transgender youth population is small. These kids aren't asking for much, just a little empathy. Can you imagine what life will be like for them under SB 233? In an existence full of unkindness and misunderstanding, must we add cruelty, too?
SB 233 is expected to pass with a veto proof majority this week.
Kim Allison works as a college professor who teaches a diverse group of young people in the fine arts. She is the mother of three girls, two of them attending Kansas universities and the third, a transgender teen attending a southeast Kansas public high school.
Citation for quote by Dietrich:
Arnold, Joshua. Kansas Governor Vetoes Bill Protecting Children from Gender Transition Procedures. The Washington Stand, 15 Apr 2024
