News & Commentary

THERE ARE TIMES when I wonder whether I’m in denial about the perilous state of trans rights; I find my attention snapping from a lovely dinner with my polycule, most of whom are trans, to the screaming Mouth of Sauron that is social media’s endless shouting about how me and my people are all going to die. It can feel convincing; the evidence piles up with every legislative filing, from coast to coast. It’s a bleak picture made up of far more than unkind words.

The Republican lawmaker who introduced the bill said it would be enforced via student-athletes’ physical exams.

“Terminal infants would be ripped from their parents’ arms and forced through painful, medically unnecessary procedures that would only prolong their suffering,” said Aileen Berquist, policy director for the ACLU of Kansas, in written testimony.

Bradshaw and Kubic both pointed out that in banning books, too often, one parent winds up deciding what all children can read, not just their own child. Kubic also noted that the works targeted are often titles by African Americans or those with themes about LGBTQ+ people.

The Kansas Legislature voted to override the Democratic governor's veto of a bill that bans transgender athletes from participating in girls' and women's sports from kindergarten through college. It is the latest push of several anti-trans bills introduced by Republican legislators in the state.

"The sports ban has never sincerely been about protecting women's sports," said Micah Kubic, the executive director of the ACLU of Kansas. "Rather, it arises out of the same gender discrimination, stereotyping, and paternalism that has held back progress for cisgender women athletes for centuries."

Chloe Chaffin, program lead for Loud Light and the chapter president of Washburn Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity, and Leslie Butsh, field director with the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, discuss the state of reproductive rights this legislative session.

“[...T]hey weren’t going to say, ‘OK, you know, we tried it. And it’s clear that Kansans feel this particular way. And now we’re just going to respect that and leave it on the table.’ We knew that they were going to come back and continue to try to chip away at abortion rights," Leslie Butsch said.

Aileen Berquist, policy director for the ACLU of Kansas, said the organization was adamantly opposed to House Bill 2313 because it would insert politicians into the private medical decisions of individuals and families.