Poll: Most KY voters oppose bills to let state overrule parents on trans teen healthcare
A majority of Kentucky voters believe parents — not the state government — should have the final say on if transgender teenagers receive gender-affirming care, a new statewide poll has found.
Seventy-one percent of voters said they would oppose a “proposed Kentucky law that would allow the state to overrule parents’ decisions to obtain certain health care for their transgender teenager,” including medications that “can regulate the onset of puberty.”
The poll of 625 registered Kentucky voters was conducted by the respected Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy in January and released by pro-LGBTQ advocacy group the Fairness Campaign on Thursday.
The poll’s release comes as Kentucky lawmakers are considering a number of bills that the Fairness Campaign has labeled a part of the “Slate of Hate,” which the group says are harmful to queer and trans people — especially to trans youth.
Among the most controversial bills so far this session: Senate Bill 150 from Sen. Max Wise, R-Campbellsville, which would allow teachers to misgender their students if their pronouns do conform to their sex at birth; and House Bill 470 from Rep. Jennifer Decker, R-Shelbyville, which cracks down on gender transition services for any Kentuckian under 18.
Just 21 percent of Kentucky voters would support legislation that overruled parents on the issue of trans healthcare, the poll found, and 8 percent were undecided.
The opposition to such legislation held up regardless of political party affiliation, gender, age and region of residence.
Opposition was greatest among Democrats at 83%, but 62% of Republicans and 67% of Independents also said they would oppose such measures.
The Louisville Metro area saw the strongest opposition with 80%, and Eastern Kentucky saw the lowest at 64%.
Additionally, voters under the age of 50 were more likely to oppose this legislation than those over 50 (75% and 67%, respectively), and women were more likely opponents than men (75% and 66%, respectively).
People polled were 46% Republicans, 44% Democrats and 10% Independents.
