(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order that would strip schools of federal aid if they mandate COVID vaccines, a pool report said — a largely symbolic move considering that no states currently require them.
The order applies to students and not to teachers or staff.
In a fact sheet provided to reporters, the White House said the order was necessary because COVID vaccine mandates were “threatening educational opportunities for students.”
“Parents are being forced into a difficult position: comply with a controversial mandate or risk their child’s educational future,” the White House wrote.
Some states and cities had proposed COVID vaccine mandates after the pandemic, including California, but quickly dropped them due to pushback from parents.
Trump’s directive also calls on Health an Humans Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the incoming Education secretary to “provide a plan to end coercive COVID-19 vaccine mandates” and report back on the compliance of schools.
One open question is whether the new administration could opt to go beyond COVID vaccines and put pressure on schools to drop requirements for other vaccines.
Currently, all 50 states mandate that students receive certain vaccinations, including to prevent the measles. Many states, however, offer religious exemptions.
Trump campaigned on ending all vaccine and mask mandates.
“I will not give one penny to any school that has a vaccine mandate or a mask mandate,” Trump declared last August.
According to a White House fact sheet, the order also applies to education service agencies, state education agencies, and local education agencies.
(LOS ANGELES) — A 23-year-old college student was found murdered at her off-campus apartment in a “senseless and violent act,” authorities said, who are now seeking to identify a person of interest in the homicide.
Menghan Zhuang, who also went by Emily King, was discovered unresponsive by her roommate at their Santa Clarita apartment the evening of Feb. 4, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.
Her roommate called 911 and first responders found Zhuang suffering from multiple injuries to her upper body, according to Lt. Michael Modica, who did not disclose the nature of her injuries amid the investigation. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities are now seeking the public’s help in identifying a person of interest in the case. Investigators learned that Zhuang had a “male companion” at her apartment the night of Feb. 3 who was then captured on video exiting from her second-story bedroom window the following afternoon, on the day she was discovered deceased, Modica said.
“It is clear this was not a random act of violence and Zhuang somehow knew the person of interest, evident by bringing that person into her apartment,” Modica said during a press briefing Thursday.
The sheriff’s department released photos of the suspect from the video of him leaving the apartment at the Vistas condominium complex in Newhall. He was described as a man in his 20s, wearing a black shirt and black pants, who appears to be of Asian descent, authorities said.
Modica stressed that Zhuang’s roommate is not a suspect in the homicide.
“I want to make it clear that her roommate is helping us in this case,” he said.
Zhuang was a senior undergraduate at the California Institute of the Arts, studying art, the school said.
“Our community is devastated by this loss, and our heartfelt condolences go out to her family, friends, classmates and teachers,” CalArts said in a statement on Friday.
CalArts is cooperating in the investigation and “were instrumental” in getting investigators in contact with the family of Zhuang, a Chinese national, Modica said.
Her family has requested privacy at this time, said CalArts, which is working with her family to plan an event in honor of Zhuang and to share her art.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is expected to approve a $20,000 reward for information in the case during its Feb. 18 meeting, which would retroactively go into effect on Feb. 13, Modica said.
“We hope people will have the courage to come forward and help investigators identify the individual responsible for this senseless and violent act and help bring justice and a sense of closure to the family,” he said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department at 323-890-5500 or Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.
ABC News’ Jennifer Watts and Alex Stone contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — A federal judge in Manhattan on Friday will consider whether to continue blocking Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency from accessing sensitive Treasury Department payment systems as part of the Trump’s administration’s efforts to cut federal spending.
The attorneys general of 19 states have argued that allowing Musk’s associates to access the payment system would be a “huge cybersecurity risk” and potentially allow the Trump administration to unlawfully “block federal funds from reaching beneficiaries who do not align with the President’s political agenda.”
“All of the States’ residents whose [personal identifiable information] and sensitive financial information is stored in the payment files that reside within the payment systems are at risk of having that information compromised and used against them,” the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit comes as Musk’s cost-cutting troops have gained access to at least 16 federal agencies, with Trump recently signing an executive order giving DOGE additional authority to help carry out massive layoffs across the government as part of his campaign pledge to trim the federal bureaucracy.
The lawsuit — filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James and 18 other state attorneys general — raised particular concern about unvetted DOGE employees accessing sensitive government records including social security numbers, bank information, and federal tax returns. According to the lawsuit, Musk being able to access the Bureau of Fiscal Services — which serves as the country’s checkbook by dispersing trillions in funding — could allow Musk to cut off government spending from the source.
In a court order last weekend, a federal judge in New York temporarily blocked the Trump administration from allowing individuals associated with DOGE to access the Treasury department records and payment systems.
“The Court’s firm assessment is that, for the reasons stated by the States, they will face irreparable harm in the absence of injunctive relief. That is both because of the risk that the new policy presents of the disclosure of sensitive and confidential information and the heightened risk that the systems in question will be more vulnerable than before to hacking,” U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer wrote, prompting a Mush to blast the judge and Vice President JD Vance to question the legality of the order.
While the Trump administration challenged the temporary order, U.S. District Judge Jeanette Vargas — a Biden-nominated judge who will hear the case going forward — reiterated that there was “sound factual basis” for the temporary restraining order when it was imposed late last week.
Judge Vargas will consider granting a preliminary injunction to block DOGE’s access to the systems at Friday’s hearing.
Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin have signed onto the lawsuit.
Brandon assists Janice with daily exercises, as well as helps her move around the house. ABC News
(CHICAGO) — Janice Will was diagnosed in 2012 with Parkinson’s, a condition that causes parts of the brain to deteriorate, causing tremors and balance problems.
“When she broke her femur and it was close to the artery…it could have been lights out,” Brandon Will, Janice’s son, said about his mother.
Brandon, who lives with his mother near Chicago, Illinois, soon realized his mom needed 24/7 access to care.
Since then, Janice, who is now 73, has seen the emotional, physical and financial strain of needing care and spoke to ABC News about often feeling like a burden to her son.
“He likes to tell me I’m not a burden, but I feel like a burden because he would have been on a career in New York…he sort of edited his dream to be different, by including me.”
Brandon, 42, reminds his mom that she is not weighing him down, telling her, “Parkinson’s is the burden. It’s one we share.”
“I think people get to these points where there is an illness or something that comes earlier than you’d expect. You realize how many systems aren’t in place,” Brandon told ABC News.
Janice and Brandon’s story mirrors the struggles many Americans are forced to reckon with when a loved one falls ill.
In the U.S., 48 million people have taken on the role of becoming a caregiver to a family member — with little to no financial help, according to Susan Reinhard, formerly the senior vice president of AARP’s Public Policy Institute and chief strategist for the organization.
“There are 48 million family caregivers who are unpaid. And if you did have to pay them, it would be $600 billion. I keep emphasizing the billion dollars because it’s quite amazing. It’s more than all out-of-pocket spending in the United States on health care,” Reinhard told ABC News.
Reinhard said that caregivers need support to avoid a financial crisis, saying the services many seek are provided through the state and federal program called Medicaid, but access and resources vary state by state.
And while help is out there, Brandon and his mom could only access the Medicaid benefits they needed in Illinois, moving from Michigan to be able to do so.
In Illinois, Brandon applied through Medicaid to get paid as a familial caregiver. However, he only gets paid for 19 hours a week, even though he provides around-the-clock care for his mom.
“I’ll hand her her clothes in the morning, help her pick out an outfit…just ‘cause she can’t, at this point, stand in front of the closet.”
His hourly rate is less than the state’s minimum wage.
Brandon and Janice are still researching and applying for as many benefits as they can to stay afloat. They are currently using the Meals on Wheels program in their area and are looking for a part-time caregiver so Brandon can focus on his career outside of care work.
However, he says the state and federal program is already stretched thin. “There’s like 20,000 people on the list in Illinois who are like us, who qualify for a home health aide. And they just aren’t available.”
In January, Brandon and Janice Will hosted an open mic, sharing stories through the viewpoints of those living with caregiving, disability, illness and aging.Now, Brandon Will has concerns following the Trump administration’s executive orders to remove diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
“With these orders to kind of remove all the DEIA. This administration, they added the A to the end of it that was never there and it’s for accessibility,” Brandon told ABC News. Brandon said his and his mother’s fears spurred him to start the open mic reading series.
“I think anybody who is dealing with disability or aging or caregiving knows that like willpower only gets you so far. You know, like you need it. It’s crucial. But, you know, you can’t really get anywhere without a community,” Brandon said.
To caregivers — even minimal resources can be crucial while juggling two or more jobs. An AARP report highlighted that 60% of family caregivers are working jobs in addition to being caregivers; 40% are men, but, at 60%, it is mainly women taking on this role. And on top of having a job and doing care work, 30% of those caregivers take care of their own children, too.
People like Ty Lewis.
In an apartment complex just outside of Los Angeles, Lewis, 45, and her husband are caring for Ty’s mother, Gertrude Jordan.
Jordan, 80, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s nearly 10 years ago, a disease 6.9 million Americans are living with. Lewis explained watching her mom’s slow progression throughout the years has been hard. “As a woman, it kind of shakes you. It does something to you because it’s just like … that’s your mom, the woman that gave birth to you.”
Lewis told ABC News her mom still receives a pension of $66,000 annually from her years of teaching –but it’s not enough. Her care each month costs more than $6,000.
“Last year was $90,000,” Lewis said about the annual cost of her mother’s care in 2023. “She only made $66,000. She doesn’t have it. Her savings are depleted. Currently, we are not getting any support because they keep saying my mom makes too much money. Just recently, my mom’s balance was $3.14.”
The financial strain cuts deep into both families. But it’s not just about the money. Each caregiver acknowledged the emotional and physical challenges they face daily — adding to the difficulties of the job.
“Caregiving has shifted things in me. Because it’s not really happening in everyone’s home or you don’t see it, people really don’t understand the magnitude of what’s coming,” Lewis told ABC News.
In December, Lewis went to Capitol Hill to advocate for the Older Americans Act (OAA), which targets older adults who are in greatest need by improving support for family caregivers and direct care workers and expands healthy aging programs. The Senate passed reauthorization for OAA in December and the bill is currently pending in the House.
Lewis also is pushing for care givers to be able to qualify for Medicaid. “I want it to look the same from state to state for every caregiver,” Lewis told ABC News.
AARP’s Reinhard warned Americans, saying, “If we do not help family caregivers, if they can no longer do what they’re doing, then we’re going to have a huge cost problem. There is definitely a care crisis in America right now.”
Taking each day in stride, Lewis hopes to spread awareness on the struggles caregivers face daily, documenting her journey with her mother by posting clips on social media.
“I want people to know that they can find joy in the journey. That’s my whole mission. And so, while it is hard, I want to show people that it’s hard, but it’s doable. It’s hard, but it’s beautiful.”
(LOS ANGELES) — One of the strongest storms of the season slammed fire-ravaged Los Angeles with heavy rain on Thursday, sending streams of mud and debris across roadways and sweeping a fire department vehicle off a Malibu road into the ocean, authorities said.
A member of the Los Angeles Fire Department was inside the vehicle when it was swept off the road by a large debris flow and into the ocean, according to the department.
“Fortunately, the member was able to exit his vehicle and reach safety with minor injuries. He was transported to a local hospital as a precaution,” spokesperson Erik Scott said.
In the Southern California city of San Juan Capistrano, two people were rescued early Friday after getting trapped in the fast-moving San Juan Creek, the Orange County Fire Authority said. They were holding onto trees and bushes to try to avoid getting swept away, the fire authority said.
“One of the victims, who had been dragged downstream by the swift current, jumped into the arms of the helicopter rescuer,” the fire authority said.
The atmospheric river dumped 6.34 inches of rain in Los Angeles County, prompting mudslides in the burn scar areas from last month’s devastating Palisades Fire, Los Angeles ABC station KABC reported.
Videos captured by KABC showed bulldozers pushing streams of muddy sludge out of the roads and firefighters trudging through nearly waist-deep swamps of water and mud.
The storm also brought a line of severe thunderstorms with 70 mph wind gusts to Los Angeles County, and a possible tornado hit a mobile home park near Oxnard, California, about 60 miles from LA.
LA Mayor Karen Bass said the city prepared for the storm by clearing catch basins of fire debris, offering residents over 6,500 sandbags, setting up over 7,500 feet of concrete barriers, and having systems in place to capture polluted runoff.
Sheriff’s deputies helped residents prepare with sandbags and passed out mud and debris safety tips, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said at a news conference Wednesday. “Our homeless outreach teams … are actively notifying individuals living in flood-prone areas like the LA River, Coyote Creek and other key waterways, urging them to relocate.”
Evacuation warnings were announced for parts of fire burn zones, including areas impacted by the Palisades Fire, and an evacuation order was issued for parts of Sierra Madre affected by the Eaton Fire, according to KABC.
All Malibu schools were closed Thursday and Friday, according to the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District.
The sheriff urged residents to prepare in the event they needed to evacuate.
“Unfortunately, we’ve witnessed numerous, numerous instances in the past of swift-water rescues where people were caught in dangerous, fast-moving water, and obviously, we want to prevent that,” he said.
“Nothing that you have back home is worth your life. If you decide to stay in your property in an evacuated area, debris from the burn scar areas and storm may impede roads, and we may not be able to reach you,” he warned.
Before pummeling LA, the storm first hit Northern California, bringing rain and flash flooding to the San Francisco Bay area.
Further north, the same storm system brought whiteout conditions and car crashes to Interstate 84 in Oregon.
(CHINA BAR, Calif.) — A 16-year-old teen was rescued from a 50-foot deep mine shaft in Northern California on Monday after the rope he was using to climb back out of the hole snapped, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The teen was saved after attempting to explore a mine shaft located in the Auburn State Recreation Area near China Bar, officials said.
At approximately 3:27 p.m. on Monday, Placer County Fire Department and Auburn City Fire Department were dispatched to a medical rescue for a “16-year-old male stuck in a vertical mine shaft approximately 50 feet deep,” according to a press release.
The teenager and his friends traveled about 180 feet into the mine shaft and the side of the mountain to explore and rappelled 40 to 50 feet down using a household rope, Cal Fire said.
Upon their ascent back, the rope broke, and the victim fell about 30 feet back to the bottom of the shaft. He attempted to free climb his way back up, but “ultimately lost strength and positioned himself in a precarious ledge awaiting rescuers,” officials said.
Once crews arrived on the scene, the teen’s friends led rescuers to the victim. The Placer County Technical Rescue Team was able to successfully save the teen using a “lightweight, complex rope system and established air monitoring,” Cal Fire said.
The victim was immediately taken to a local trauma center for treatment.
Cal Fire applauded the Placer County rescue team as they were able to “facilitate this technical rescue in a very confined and austere environment 180 feet inside of the mountain.”
“The incident highlights the unique natural hazards ever present within our beautiful and rugged landscape in Placer County,” Cal Fire said. “Our commitment to public safety in these diverse scenarios using highly trained special operations team is paramount in our service to the public.”
The name of the rescued teenager has not yet been released.
(PHILADELPHIA) — Philadelphia Eagles fans flocked to downtown Philadelphia on Friday to celebrate the team’s massive 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday’s Super Bowl.
The city expects 1 million people to attend Friday’s parade and ceremony — including kids. Philadelphia city offices and Philadelphia public schools are closed for the citywide celebration.
“We look forward to joyfully celebrating the Eagles’ victory as a community, and we hope that you do so safely and responsibly with friends and family,” the school district said in a statement.
The Eagles players’ parade began at 11 a.m. More than 15 Jumbotron screens will be along the parade route to broadcast the celebration live.
The parade will be followed by a ceremony at 2 p.m. on the “Rocky” Steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
But if you’re heading to Philadelphia on Friday, make sure to layer up with your Eagles gear.
When the parade begins, gusty winds could reach 20 to 25 mph. The wind chill — what temperature it feels like — will be only 22 degrees.
By 2 p.m., the wind chill is only expected to rise to 27 degrees — much colder than normal for mid-February.
This is the Eagles’ second Super Bowl championship; the team’s first win was in 2018.
The 2025 Eagles parade comes exactly one year after the Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebration during which a mass shooting erupted following a dispute. Paradegoer Lisa Lopez-Galvan was killed and 22 people were hurt.
The Chiefs wrote on social media Friday, “A year ago, on a day intended for celebration and love, our city experienced tragedy in the form of senseless violence. We continue to heal with you as we move forward together.”
(NEW YORK) — The National Park Service eliminated references to transgender people from its Stonewall National Monument website on Thursday, which now only refers to those who are lesbian, gay and bisexual.
What used to be listed as LGBTQ+, has been changed to LGB.
“Before the 1960s, almost everything about living openly as a lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB) person was illegal. The Stonewall Uprising on June 28, 1969, is a milestone in the quest for LGB civil rights and provided momentum for a movement,” the website now says.
The Stonewall Inn in New York City’s Greenwich Village became a national monument in 2016 under former President Barack Obama, creating the country’s first national park site dedicated to LGBTQ+ history.
The Stonewall Uprising on June 28, 1969, began in response to a routine police raid on a gay bar, according to the Library of Congress. The conflict spanned multiple nights and drew national attention as bargoers resisted the police.
The Stonewall Inn and the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative told ABC News that it was thanks to the leadership of transgender women who “stood up and stood out and refused to be put into a corner” that the modern LGBTQ equality movement exists.
“In this fight, in this movement, it was also trans people, especially trans women of color, like Marsha P Johnson, Sylvia, Rivera, Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, black and brown trans women that stood at the forefront of this movement,” said Angelica Christina, the Board Director of the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative, in an interview with ABC News. “We would not have pride as we know it today without trans people, without trans women.”
Though LGBTQ+ rights activism existed in various pockets prior to 1969, the incident at Stonewall galvanized and mobilized the community toward increased organizing, experts said. NYPD officials have since apologized for past anti-LGBTQ+ practices and the raid of Stonewall.
“… to come and do this at the Stonewall National Monument and try to erase LGBTQ history, which is American history, is just deplorable and something that we cannot see happen,” co-owner of the Stonewall Inn, Stacy Lentz, told ABC News.
For transgender residents, like Christina, the Stonewall Inn has long been a safe haven.
“The Stonewall bar, which for me, as a native New Yorker, that was one of the first queer, LGBT safe spaces that I turned to in my early 20s,” Christina told ABC News. “It was a space that was welcoming for especially a trans woman like myself, a space that I could exist comfortably and safely and that I knew that I could turn to. And there are so many spaces in especially in New York City, unfortunately, are not safe for trans people.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul took to X on Thursday to condemn the change, calling it “cruel and petty.”
“Transgender people play a critical role in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights — and New York will never allow their contributions to be erased,” Hochul said.
The monument’s organizers promised to fight for transgender representation to be restored on the website, saying, that the group “Stands unwaveringly in solidarity with the transgender community and all who fight for full equality, and we will not rest until this grave injustice is corrected.”
The Park Service’s public affairs department, according to the New York Times, said “the agency had taken the actions to carry out an executive order signed by President Trump on his first day in office that was described as ‘restoring biological truth to the federal government’ and a second order signed by the acting secretary of the interior last month.”
Several other references to the transgender community remain on the website, including the founding document for the Stonewall National Monument, historical pages on Rivera and Johnson, and other references to LGBTQ history.
During his first day in the White House, President Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring that there are only “two sexes, male and female,” with the effects of that order being seen from passports to the U.S. military.
“The decision to change ‘LGBTQ’ to ‘LGB’ on the Stonewall National Monument’s National Parks page is yet another example of the Trump administration’s blatant attempts to discriminate against and erase the legacies of transgender and queer Americans,” the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) said in a statement on Thursday.
“You can try to erase our history, but we will never forget those who came before us and we will continue to fight for all those who will come after us,” the GLAAD statement added.
The National Parks Conservation Association — an independent, nonpartisan membership organization dedicated to national park advocacy — released a statement on the decision Thursday.
“Erasing letters or webpages does not change the history or the contributions of our transgender community members at Stonewall or anywhere else,” program manager Timothy Leonard said. “Stonewall inspires and our parks must continue to include diverse stories that welcome and represent the people that shaped our nation.”
(LOS ANGELES) — One of the strongest storms of the season slammed fire-ravaged Los Angeles with heavy rain on Thursday, sending streams of mud and debris across roadways and sweeping a fire department vehicle off a Malibu road into the ocean, authorities said.
A member of the Los Angeles Fire Department was inside the vehicle when it was swept off the road by a large debris flow and into the ocean, according to the department.
“Fortunately, the member was able to exit his vehicle and reach safety with minor injuries. He was transported to a local hospital as a precaution,” spokesperson Erik Scott said.
The atmospheric river dumped 6.34 inches of rain in Los Angeles County, prompting mudslides in the burn scar areas from last month’s devastating Palisades Fire, Los Angeles ABC station KABC reported.
Videos captured by KABC showed bulldozers pushing streams of muddy sludge out of the roads and firefighters trudging through nearly waist-deep swamps of water and mud.
The storm also brought a line of severe thunderstorms with 70 mph wind gusts to Los Angeles County, and a possible tornado hit a mobile home park near Oxnard, California, about 60 miles from LA.
LA Mayor Karen Bass said the city prepared for the storm by clearing catch basins of fire debris, offering residents over 6,500 sandbags, setting up over 7,500 feet of concrete barriers, and having systems in place to capture polluted runoff.
Sheriff’s deputies helped residents prepare with sandbags and passed out mud and debris safety tips, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said at a news conference Wednesday. “Our homeless outreach teams … are actively notifying individuals living in flood-prone areas like the LA River, Coyote Creek and other key waterways, urging them to relocate.”
Evacuation warnings were announced for parts of fire burn zones, including areas impacted by the Palisades Fire, and an evacuation order was issued for parts of Sierra Madre affected by the Eaton Fire, according to KABC.
All Malibu schools were closed Thursday and Friday, according to the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District.
The sheriff urged residents to prepare in the event they needed to evacuate.
“Unfortunately, we’ve witnessed numerous, numerous instances in the past of swift-water rescues where people were caught in dangerous, fast-moving water, and obviously, we want to prevent that,” he said.
“Nothing that you have back home is worth your life. If you decide to stay in your property in an evacuated area, debris from the burn scar areas and storm may impede roads, and we may not be able to reach you,” he warned.
Before pummeling LA, the storm first hit Northern California, bringing rain and flash flooding to the San Francisco Bay area.
Further north, the same storm system brought whiteout conditions and car crashes to Interstate 84 in Oregon.
Transgender flag/Nathan Morris/NurPhoto via Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — After months of targeting transgender youth medical care, legislators in some states are now setting their sights on restricting funding for care for transgender adults.
Lawmakers in at least eight states are seeking to restrict state or public funds from being used for gender-affirming care, limiting a patient’s ability to use Medicaid to help pay: Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia.
For Mason Kalinsky, that would mean he may no longer be able to access the hormone therapy that he has been taking for roughly three years. Kalinsky, a 27-year-old transgender activist in Kentucky, told ABC News in an interview that hormone therapy changed his life.
Before accessing hormone therapy, Kalinsky said he and his doctors tried a slew of medications including antidepressants to address his mental health challenges, including his struggles with addiction.
Hormone therapy and gender-affirming care made him feel “more awake and alive in my body in a way that no other medication had,” Kalinsky said.
“It’s a necessary medication for me,” he said. “And this bill, if it passes, would mean that I would no longer be able to get this care, as would a lot of other people who also have insurance that is in some way paid for by the public.”
Kentucky state Rep. Josh Calloway, a Republican, is one of the legislators behind the Kentucky bill. He told ABC News in an interview that he believes state funds should not go toward gender-affirming health care.
His bill would bar state funds from going toward services related to gender transitioning, including mental health counseling or therapy, hormone therapy or any surgical procedures.
Calloway could not provide details about how much in state funding currently goes to gender-affirming care for transgender patients. Instead, Calloway stated that the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services informed him that if his bill were implemented, it could cost the state between $12 to $21 million in the need for psychiatric care, counseling and hospital stays from impacted patients who may need increased mental health services.
“What they are saying by that statement is that we have a mental health crisis,” Calloway told ABC News, adding “they’re saying that these people will be in psychiatric care and treatment if we remove the ability to use these medications.”
ABC News has reached out to the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services to confirm the estimate.
“The truth is there’s only male and female, and there is no way that either can transition to the other,” said Calloway.
The bill has exceptions for intersex people – such as those with differences in sexual development – and does not restrict such care for non-transgender people.
“This is what is best: men, women, having a family, having babies, procreating,” said Calloway. “Those aspects of our society are under attack through many different avenues. This is just one of those avenues — promote confusion. Cause kids to be confused. They become unstable. They become adults, and before you know it, our society is totally disrupted.”
Transgender Americans — who are estimated to make up less than 1% of the U.S. population over the age of 13 — have been the target of hundreds of Republican-backed bills in recent years.
These bills target bathroom usage and sports participation by transgender residents and restrict certain content in schools or libraries that refer to transgender identities.
However, many anti-LGBTQ bills fail to move forward each year. In 2024, 533 anti-LGBTQ bills were considered by state legislatures and only 49 passed, according to the ACLU.
Kentucky, like other states behind the new wave of restrictive bills, previously passed a gender-affirming care ban for people under the age of 18.
In 2023, the gender youth care ban was vetoed by Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, which was quickly overridden by the state legislature and passed into law.
Beshear argued that the bill allowed too much government interference in personal health care decisions.
Many of the laws that have been signed or passed into law have led to ongoing legal battles. The Supreme Court is currently considering a case, U.S. v. Skrmetti, which would decide the constitutionality of gender-affirming care bans for transgender minors.
For Carma Marshall Bell, a 34-year-old trans Kentucky resident who has been on hormone therapy for five years, she said she is “terrified” about what could happen if she’s unable to afford her treatment, which could include hormone withdrawal symptoms, which may lead to physical changes and a potential negative impact on mental health.
“I feel like I’m in a good place. I used to be in a really dark place at the beginning. I didn’t see myself in who I used to be versus who I see myself now,” said Marshall. Losing her hormones “would exacerbate depression and just those dark feelings that so many Americans right now are battling and fighting against.”
She continued, “Hormones, to a degree, have saved my life. If I hadn’t got on them, I don’t know where I would be right now.”
Marshall plans on attending a rally with other LGBTQ advocates and allies to call on lawmakers to vote against the bills impacting the transgender community in the state.
“We are people that are deserving of love, respect, humanity. We deserve our little piece of the American dream,” said Marshall. “We actually take a lot of steps to ensure that there’s nothing wrong with us, by ensuring that we see our mental health professionals, by ensuring that we’re in those doctor’s offices taking care of our health and well being, because health is wealth, and we want to prosper in this country known as America.”
