Media Contact

Angela Cooper 
Communications Director, ACLU of KY 
502-654-8227, angela@aclu-ky.org 

May 22, 2023

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Today the ACLU of Kentucky, with partner organization the National Center for Lesbian Rights and law firm Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP, filed a motion for preliminary injunctive relief from Section 4 of SB 150, the ban on essential healthcare for trans youth passed during the 2023 Kentucky General Assembly.  

Section 4 of SB 150 is scheduled to go into effect on June 29, 2023. Our motion asks that the court prohibit the ban’s implementation while our case against the state, Doe v. Thornbury, proceeds. 

Banning essential medical care for trans youth in Kentucky is nothing more than egregious government overreach. By inserting themselves into the personal medical decisions of trans youth and their health care providers, lawmakers are violating the fundamental rights and freedoms of parents to direct the upbringing of their children.  

“The families we represent from across the commonwealth should be able to begin or continue essential medical care for their children while our case plays out in the courts,” said Corey Shapiro, legal director for the ACLU of Kentucky. “Banning medically necessary care for trans youth is not supported by science or reputable major medical organizations. These are merely political attacks from groups with a fundamental opposition to transgender people being able to live openly, freely, and affirmed as who they really are.” 

The ACLU of Kentucky remains committed to protecting the civil liberties of ALL Kentuckians. Legislators have no place in Kentuckians’ personal medical decisions, and we will continue to fight for equal rights and equal protection under the law. 

Read the complete filing below. 

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The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Kentucky is freedom's watchdog, working daily in the courts, legislature and communities to defend individual rights and personal freedoms. For additional information, visit our website at: www.aclu-ky.org.