John Oliver Rips Alabama's 'Absolutely Appalling' Anti-Trans Legislation

On Sunday's episode of Last Week Tonight, John Oliver went after Alabama governor Kay Ivey for her state's Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act, which harms transgender youth. The law makes it a felony to prescribe or administer gender-affirming medication to transgender minors, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

"That is absolutely appalling," said Oliver. "No one should ever be facing criminal punishment for providing health care to young people."

Ivey signed the bill into law last month, but on Friday, a judge blocked the part of the law that made it a felony, which Ivey called a "temporary legal roadblock" that Alabama's state attorney general plans to appeal.

Oliver accused Ivey of being "deeply committed to anti-trans legislation, even making it a feature of her re-election campaign." He then showed a clip of Ivey's campaign ad, in which she says, "Some things are just facts. Summer’s hot, the ocean’s big, and gender is a question of biology, not identity. Here in Alabama, we’re gonna go by how God made us, because we identify with something liberals never will: reality."

"First, fuck you," responded Oliver. "Second, "Summer’s hot, ocean’s big’ doesn’t sound like the wind-up to denying trans people their rights. It sounds like a children’s book the author wrote while hung over." He added, "As for her point there that we have to respect how God made us, do we? Really? Why? Because we’ve got too many holes, way too little hair, and necks — fragile lollipop bones that balance our dum-dum head — in one very specific direction or else we die. None of this is intelligent design."

Oliver then shared a video of a transgender girl explaining that the law "would completely destroy me mentally and physically." Oliver, directing his words to Ivey now, said, "If you can look at [her] or any child and comfortably say, 'Take away the care that gives them peace and a sense of self,' you are a bad person." He later added, "What the fuck is wrong with you?… To put this in terms you will definitely understand, 'Summer’s hot, ocean’s big, and the people of Alabama definitely deserve a lot better than you.'"

The Last Week Tonight host concluded by addressing transgender kids in Alabama, telling them they they are "profoundly valuable and irreplaceable."

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Deena ElGenaidi's writing has been featured in Nylon, MTV News, Insider, The AV Club, and more. You can follow her on Twitter @deenaelg.