In a dramatic shift, the Kansas legislature failed to override Governor Laura Kelly’s veto of a bill banning gender-affirming healthcare for transgender minors. Two Republican lawmakers unexpectedly broke ranks, leading to a major victory for LGBTQ+ advocates and securing access to essential medical care for trans youth in the state.

The legislation, Senate Bill 233, would have prohibited medical professionals from providing treatments like puberty blockers and hormone therapy to transgender youth. It also aimed to bar state employees from promoting social transitioning for children questioning their gender identity.

Governor Kelly vetoed the bill in March, citing its dangerous intrusion into the doctor-patient relationship and the well-being of transgender Kansans. The veto override seemed poised for success, until Representatives Susan Concannon and Jesse Borjon voted against the measure.

Rep. Concannon, previously a supporter of the bill, delivered a powerful speech: “We hear of bullying and ask authorities to make it stop. We hear about mental health, about suicide, and ask why. We’re not listening to the impacted youth. Government involvement is not the answer…These decisions belong between the team of professionals and the parents. The youth need our help, not government overreach. For all those who reached out, I hear you, and vote to sustain the governor’s veto.”

Shifting tides

Kansas has been at the forefront of anti-trans legislation in recent years. In the past, Kansas Republicans passed a bill that bans transgender individuals from bathrooms and prohibits legal recognition of their gender identity.

The failure of the healthcare ban marks a surprising turn of events, potentially signaling a growing reluctance among some Republicans to target transgender individuals through legislation. This shift mirrors a broader trend in several states where similar bills have stalled. Several states, like Florida and Texas, that have previously led the charge in anti-trans bills haven’t passed any significant measures this year. This suggests a possible recalibration of strategies, with some lawmakers looking for alternative approaches.

Advocacy groups credit the defeat to a concerted effort to lobby centrist and conservative legislators while appealing to values that resonate across political lines, such as personal liberty and control over one’s healthcare.

Organizations like Equality Kansas and a coalition of statewide groups were instrumental in lobbying the legislature and mobilizing grassroots support.

“We are thrilled and relieved, and we remain in awe of this session’s incredible showing of strength, resilience, and solidarity in this community of transgender Kansans and allies,”  said Executive Director of ACLU Kansas Micah Kubic, who also said the bill was one of the most extreme anti-trans laws proposed in the country in a press release. “There is an accepting, kinder Kansas ahead of us, and we look forward to the day that the legislature moves on from these attempts at government intrusion into the doctor’s office, the classroom, and the home.”

The road ahead

While this defeat represents a setback for anti-transgender legislation in Kansas, the issue is likely to remain a point of contention. It’s important to note that Kansas remains one of at least 21 states with restrictions on transgender athletes participating in girls’ sports.

While Kansas still faces other restrictions on transgender rights, the defeat of this particularly harsh trans healthcare ban ensures essential medical care remains accessible for transgender youth in the state.

“I can breathe,” Iridescent Riffel, a transgender LGBTQ+ rights activist who worked against the bill, said in an interview to ABC News after the House vote. “I’m relieved. I know many other families in Kansas are,” the 27-year old from from northeastern Kansas said.