News & Commentary

In a statement, the ACLU of Kansas said the Supreme Court's decision means the appellate court ruling can go into effect on Oct. 6. At that time, the Department of Revenue "can legally resume making gender changes on driver's licenses, although KDOR has not yet confirmed when it will begin doing so."

“We look forward to KDOR resuming gender-marker changes on driver’s licenses at the earliest possible time,” said Monica Bennett, Legal Director of the ACLU of Kansas. “The ACLU of Kansas will work to update the local community as soon as more information becomes available, and we look forward to litigating the rest of this case for a final favorable outcome for all transgender Kansans.”

“We know that accurate gender markers are a matter of safety and well-being for transgender Kansans,” says Julie Murray, Co-Director of the ACLU’s State Supreme Court Initiative in a news release. “The Kansas Supreme Court’s decision this week will finally bring an end to nearly two years of government intrusion on trans Kansans’ privacy and put a stop to the attorney general’s efforts to forcibly out people in their daily lives.”

"The court would effectively here have to take a red pen to the Legislature's work — something that is not the place for this court and instead is something that the Legislature ... could do itself, should it want to," Murray said.

According to the ACLU of Kansas, which joined the case on behalf of five trans Kansans, the order reversing the temporary injunction against KDOR will go into effect Oct. 6. “The Kansas Supreme Court’s decision this week will finally bring an end to nearly two years of government intrusion on trans Kansans’ privacy and put a stop to the attorney general’s efforts to forcibly out people in their daily lives,” said Julie Murray, co-director of the ACLU’s State Supreme Court Initiative, in an email statement.

A spokesperson with the ACLU of Kansas also told the Journal-World on Wednesday afternoon that the organization was “following and concerned” about the pronoun issue, and was gathering more information. ...

Attorney General Kris Kobach isn’t ready to accept a ruling that would allow transgender Kansans to change their gender on driver’s licenses and state identification cards for the first time in two years.

Led by D.C. Hiegert, a legal fellow at ACLU Kansas, and Donnavan Dillon, senior organizer with Loud Light, the evening’s discussion addressed developments in changing gender markers and gender-affirming health care for minors, as well as resources for the local community.

The state is asking a Douglas County judge to dismiss a lawsuit challenging a new state law banning surgery and the use of puberty blockers for treating transgender children in Kansas.