News & Commentary

The ability to now change gender markers on driver’s licenses comes largely from the ACLU of Kansas’ intervention.

ACLU of Kansas Executive Director Micah Kubic speaks at the Hutchinson NAACP monthly meeting on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025. Kubic encouraged the audience to focus on local issues first.

“I want every transgender Kansan to be able to live their lives authentically,” said Kathryn Redman, a 65-year-old resident and a plaintiff in the case, Kansas v. Harper, brought on by the ACLU and Stinson LLP.

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.”

Lenexa City officials, including council members and the police department, must ensure policy and practice embody their stated values and hopes of fostering greater inclusion and trust if those values are to be meaningful. Recent events show there is more work to do for accountability to constituents, but also accessibility for the community.

"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.