"We can't wait": 'Caravan of Compassion' plans to drive through Berea

Mar. 24—Sierra Marling

Progress Kentucky conducted a drive-by protest of Senate Bill 150, dubbed the Caravan of Compassion, where volunteers drove their vehicles by legislators' offices to make their concern for the bill known.

On their trail, they were seen driving by Glades Road to get the message across to Senator Jared Carpenter, owner of KJC Properties, who voted in favor of the final iteration of the bill on March 16.

According to Aaron Viles, chair of Progress Kentucky, Senator Carpenter is thought of as a "well-regarded" and "fairly rational" individual who is "business-minded."

He said these traits mean the senator "should be very aware of the potential economic ramifications if Kentucky steps out as one of the leading states in anti-LGBTQ policy."

Viles explained that The Caravan of Compassion is a "polite" request for GOP leaders to do "the right thing," which Progress Kentucky contends is upholding Governor Andy Beshear's March 24 veto of the bill.

"We can't wait," he said. "This is a bad bill they need to walk away from."

Among the Caravan of Compassion protesters is Doug Price of Harrison County, a 74 year-old grandfather of a trans child in Kentucky. He said the cause is personal and real for everyday Kentuckians and also hopes the legislature will uphold the veto.

"The biggest issue with with our family right now is the fact that that our grandchild can't receive medical treatment if our grandchild wants that medical treatment, right? The politicians should not be dictating that. That's none of their business," he asserted.

"There are a lot of us that believe this will lead to the student bullying and there's a great potential for suicides," Price added. "The legislature is stepping into something that they don't need to have input."

This sentiment is one also seen in Gov. Beshear's official veto statement, where he asserted the bill would "allow too much government interference in personal healthcare issues," and "strips freedom from parents to make personal family decisions" including medical and interpersonal matters.

He added that the bill "turns educators and administrators into investigators" who will then have added burdens to meet the requirement of this bill.

The bill had a tumultuous history.

In its original form, it had provisions that allowed teachers to use pronouns aligned with a student's biological sex with no regard to how a student identifies and also disallowed state education officials from offering guidance to districts regarding how to approach pronouns. The bill also allowed conversations about human sexuality with the caveat that schools would be obligated to give parents a two-week notice of the lesson and the option to opt out. It also did not require educators to disclose a student's orientation to their parents, especially if they feel they're at risk for abuse or getting kicked out.

The bill had a hurried passing on the Senate floor after an impromptu House Education Committee meeting that has drawn criticism from dissenters due to allegedly violating Kentucky's open meeting laws.

The bill was dubbed a "frankenbill" online, due to provisions from other legislation seemingly being added to the bill.

In the newest iteration of SB 150, there was a new section that would ban on gender-transitioning medical care for trans youths, echoing the language found in previously dead House Bill 470. However, new provisions added that doctors would be required to set a detransition timeline for children already taking puberty blockers or undergoing hormone therapy, which includes tapering a child's treatment.

There was added language about what would be allowed in schools, with the bill adding that schools would not be allowed to discuss sexual orientation or gender identity with students of any age and that discussion about sexually transmitted diseases or human sexuality before sixth grade and that older students exceeding that age would need to require parental consent to participate.

The bill also encouraged bathroom policies that will impede on allowing transgendered youth to use the bathroom tied to their gender identities, with the bill saying, that a local board of education will be required to "at a minimum, not allow students to use restrooms, locker rooms, or shower rooms that are reserved for students of a different biological sex."

Political opponents rushed to condemn the veto.

Republican Party of Kentucky spokesman Sean Southard said in a statement, "Most people agree that you need to be a certain age before participating in certain activities, like consuming alcohol or smoking cigarettes. Not Andy Beshear. Andy Beshear thinks it's okay for children to have access to life-altering sex change surgery and drugs before they turn 18. Today, he revealed how radical he truly is. Is Andy Beshear the Governor of Kentucky or California?"

He went on to say that "today may very well be remembered as the day Andy Beshear lost his bid for re-election."

Gubernatorial hopeful Kelly Craft released a statement on the governor's veto.

"I think the fact that we're even having this conversation is insanity. This movement across the nation to impose radical gender ideology on our kids instead of improving reading, writing, and math skills, is wrong. We should not allow children to be subjected to these life-changing, irreversible surgeries and drugs. As governor, I will fight any attempt to sexualize our children and rob them of their futures. It's time we dismantle the Department of Education and start fresh. Governor Beshear doesn't have the leadership to do it but the Craft-Wise Administration will deliver on that promise," Craft said.

Other gubernatorial candidates Attorney General Daniel Cameron and Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles took similar stances, denouncing Beshear as "woke" and "radical far-left" in their statements.