Hochul Pledges That New York Will Remain a “Safe Haven” for Transgender Children

Governor Kathy Hochul, speaking today (Monday) at the Clinton Global Initiative, spoke out about what she says are right-wing attacks on transgender children. She says New York is trying to protect their rights as well as the rights of other LGBTQ people.

Hochul, a Democrat, says some Republican governors are participating in a “well-funded, coordinated effort to destroy the rights” of the LGBTQ community, and “stoke the flames of hatred.”

“As a mom, this is really hard,” said Hochul, who is the first female governor of New York. “The attacks on our kids, our trans kids, particularly.”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in May signed a bill banning gender-affirming health care for minors.   

In Texas, that state’s Supreme Court in late August upheld a similar law.

17 other states, all led by GOP lawmakers, have passed some type of restriction on transgender care for children.

“The fact that you are a governor of a state, and you still find the time to wake up every day and it's like, 'How can I attack the LGBTQ community?' You ought to have enough to do, other governors,” Hochul said. “They're the ones stoking the flames of hatred and division.”

Hochul listed steps that New York has taken to protect those who need gender-affirming care. And she says other governors could learn from it.

In late June, the governor signed a bill into law that establishes New York as a “safe haven” for gender-affirming care for children whose doctors determine that they need it.

The measure also protects children receiving such care from being removed from their parent or guardian in New York, even if the other parent or guardian lives in a state where laws allow that.

It also prohibits law enforcement from cooperating with other states where the care is banned from trying to prosecute a parent or doctor in New York.