Gov. Tony Evers vetoed a slate of Republican-backed bills Tuesday morning at the Wisconsin State Capitol, rejecting a series of measures targeting transgender youth, school policies, and access to gender-affirming care.

The veto ceremony took place on Transgender Day of Visibility, a date advocates say amplified the significance of the governor’s action. Community members, LGBTQ+ advocates, and organizational leaders gathered in the Capitol to witness the vetoes, framing the moment as both political and deeply personal.

The bills would have imposed sweeping restrictions across education and health care:

• AB100/SB117 sought to require school sports teams—including those in private schools participating in parental choice programs—to be designated based on a student’s sex assigned at birth.
• AB102/SB116 extended those requirements to University of Wisconsin and technical college athletics.
• AB103/SB120 would have required school boards to adopt policies regulating how students can change their legal names and pronouns in school.
• AB104/SB157 aimed to prohibit gender-affirming medical care for individuals under 18.
• AB400/SB405 would have allowed minors to bring civil lawsuits related to gender transition procedures.

In vetoing the measures, Evers reaffirmed his administration’s position that the state should not interfere in personal medical decisions or create barriers for LGBTQ+ youth in schools.

Advocates in attendance emphasized the symbolic weight of the timing. Transgender Day of Visibility is recognized globally as a day to celebrate transgender lives while also drawing attention to ongoing discrimination and legislative attacks. Holding the veto ceremony on that day underscored what many described as a clear message of support from the state’s highest office.

“This is about making sure every kid in Wisconsin can be safe, respected, and supported for who they are,” one attendee said following the ceremony.

The vetoes marked the latest chapter in an ongoing clash between the governor and Republican lawmakers, who have advanced similar proposals in recent legislative sessions. While supporters of the bills framed them as protections for fairness in sports and parental rights, in reality they disproportionately targeted transgender youth and risked serious harm to their mental health and well-being.

For many in the Capitol on Tuesday, the moment carried both relief and urgency. While the vetoes halted the bills for now, advocates noted that similar legislation continues to emerge across the country—and in Wisconsin—making visibility, community, and political engagement as critical as ever.