Kentucky Senate lets teachers decide on transgender pronouns

By BRUCE SCHREINER
Associated Press

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky Senate has voted to allow teachers to refuse to refer to transgender students by their preferred pronouns. Sen. Max Wise says his bill would protect free-speech rights in classrooms. But the bill was denounced by a lawmaker whose transgender son died recently. The measure won Senate passage on a 29-6 vote Thursday, sending the culture war topic to the House. Republicans have supermajorities in both chambers. The bill would prevent policies compelling school staff to use pronouns that don’t conform to a student’s biological sex. Democratic Sen. Karen Berg says referring to children by their preferred pronouns in the classroom is a “simple accommodation.”