Louisville church, other areas hit with 'TRANS PWR' graffiti after House OK's gender bill

One day after Kentucky lawmakers advanced a bill to limit gender-affirming treatment for children, the outside of a Catholic church in Louisville's Butchertown neighborhood was tagged Friday with a "TRANS PWR" graffiti message.

The same "TRANS PWR" message has shown up elsewhere in Louisville, such as the Deer Park area, per social media posts and eyewitnesses.

The message was painted next to the entrance doors to the old school wing of St. Joseph Catholic Church, 1406 E. Washington St.

A member of the church who answered its phone Friday afternoon said the pastor and deacon were both away and not able to immediately comment. A spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Louisville later said Sunday that she and a colleague "had not heard about this incident" before The Courier Journal reached out for comment.

Louisville Metro Police spokesman Aaron Ellis told The Courier Journal on Monday morning the department had not received any calls or reports related to the graffiti at the church.

The same "TRANS PWR" message has shown up elsewhere in Louisville, per social media posts.

On Thursday, the Kentucky House of Representatives passed by a 75-22 vote an amended version of a bill that would limit medical services tied to gender transitions for minors. It awaits action in the state Senate.

House Bill 470, with Rep. Jennifer Decker, R-Waddy, its lead sponsor, would put healthcare providers who provide gender transition services at risk of losing their licenses.

Providers, however, would no longer be subject to criminal charges, as they were under the initial version of the bill, for not disclosing when they provide those services. 

The legislation, which also initially aimed to penalize elements of social transitioning, such as the use of new pronouns, before it was amended, would prohibit children from legally changing their name or birth certificate if the change is tied to a gender transition.

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Decker said she filed the bill, which has over three dozen Republican cosponsors, to protect children from "irreparable damage." Opponents, meanwhile, argued the bill would prevent trans youths from accessing needed support and could further harm their mental health.

State Rep. Lisa Willner, a Louisville Democrat and psychologist, said research shows gender-affirming medical treatments impacted by the bill, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy, are consistently linked to drops in depression, suicides and anxiety for kids with gender dysphoria.

HB 470 is one of at least 10 bills in the current Kentucky General Assembly session targeting LGBTQ residents, particularly transgender children.

Reach Billy Kobin at bkobin@courierjournal.com