Kentucky Bill Charges Parents With “Neglect” If Trans Kids Use “Wrong” Restrooms

The legislation revises the state code to incorporate “educational neglect,” encompassing the failure to instruct children on restroom usage

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A proposed amendment to the existing Kentucky legislation aims to hold parents accountable for neglect if their transgender children do not adhere to the restroom usage specified by their birth certificates, potentially leading to the removal of children from their homes.

Though the bill itself does not explicitly mention transgender children, it pertains to existing state code concerning restroom and locker room usage in schools. Without prior knowledge of Senate Bill 150, passed into law in March of the previous year, these alterations might go unnoticed.

Allison Chapman, a legislative tracker and transgender activist, appears to be the first to highlight these proposed changes to state law, sharing the information on social media on Tuesday night.

Kentucky is considering a bill that could result in the REMOVAL OF TRANS YOUTH from their homes if they fail to comply with the state’s school restroom regulations, while also charging their parents with NEGLECT,” Chapman exclaimed, alongside screenshots of the draft legislation.

Proposed by Republican state Representative Jason Petrie, the bill aims to broaden Kentucky’s definition of child neglect to encompass “educational neglect,” incorporating a parent’s failure to ensure their child adheres to the current anti-trans restroom legislation. If a child consistently disregards the exclusionary restroom regulations, the state reserves the authority to remove them from their home. Experts have highlighted the severe harm these restrictions pose to transgender children.

Chapman further explained that the subtlety of the bill made it easy to overlook, requiring familiarity with SB150, which was enacted the previous year.

Even without the proposed amendments enabling child removal, the current law is highly restrictive. It not only regulates restroom and locker room use but also prohibits physicians from providing gender-affirming care treatments to transgender youth. These treatments, hailed as lifesaving by medical experts and recipients, are essential for their well-being.

The ACLU has labeled the law as one of the most severe targeting transgender individuals nationwide. While a federal judge initially halted its enforcement last year, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals intervened, allowing the law to be enforced until the lawsuit’s resolution. In November, the ACLU petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn this decision.