In August 2001, I enlisted in the U.S. Air Force to serve our country. In 2009, my service brought me to Kansas and McConnell Air Force Base. I now proudly serve the people of Wichita as the state representative for House District 86, and I am the second transgender legislator in Kansas history. I believe in freedom, dignity and respect for others, and I believe that those of us in public service should focus on solving the problems facing our communities instead of manufacturing crises that unnecessarily pit us against one another. But it is obvious that in that regard, I stand with a minority of state lawmakers in Kansas.
Last week, one of the most sweeping and intrusive anti-trans laws in the nation went into effect in Kansas.
Last week, one of the most sweeping and intrusive anti-trans laws in the nation went into effect in Kansas. The first part of this law immediately invalidated the driver’s licenses, state IDs and birth certificates for thousands of Kansas residents who have changed their gender marker on state documents legally. The second part mandates sex segregation requirements for “multiple-occupancy private space,” which includes restrooms, hospital rooms, dorm rooms and more. The third part lets someone who believes they see somebody transgender breaking the law file a lawsuit for “damages” up to $1,000. Their reports would be investigated by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach.
Supporters of the law claim it’s about safety. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, despite repeated assertions that this law is necessary to protect women and children in private spaces, the statute includes a clause that lets a person “enter a multiple-occupancy private space designated for use by individuals of the opposite sex … to render assistance necessary in preventing a serious threat to proper order of safety.” That clause could be reasonably construed to allow men into any women’s space based solely on their subjective opinion. That sounds more like tyranny than safety to me.
Already, two transgender Kansans have filed a lawsuit in response to the law.
Simply put, this is more government interference in our private lives that creates unnecessary problems for everyone. At best, the three-headed monster of a law will lead to uncomfortable confrontations and delays. At worst, it will lead to hate-based violence against trans and gender-nonconforming people — and denial of life-saving services for people who aren’t transgender. For example, the law could keep a family from being placed in a domestic violence center by not allowing, say, a 9-year-old boy to stay with his mother.
The law is the first in the nation to retroactively invalidate driver’s licenses, state IDs and birth certificates and did so immediately upon the publication of the law. That means thousands of Kansans were given no opportunity to get a new license before theirs, through no fault of their own, was cruelly invalidated.
We’ll be forced to carry an identification that doesn’t match who we are, which subverts the idea of a form of identification.
Why should this matter to you? First, it ought to matter because trans people deserve to live as freely as anybody else. But beyond that, consider the practical impact. We’ve all been in frustratingly long lines at the airport, at the DMV or at the post office. Nearly 2,000 people now have invalid IDs, which will require money, time off work and rideshares to replace. Even if we get them updated, we’ll be forced to carry an identification that doesn’t match who we are, which subverts the idea of a form of identification. This creates unnecessary delays and confusion for everyone around us. We’ll either be accused of fraud or immediately outed, putting us at risk of harassment and violence. This doesn’t make lines move faster or our public spaces safer. It does the opposite.
The fundamental purpose of an ID is to allow us the freedoms we depend on as Americans: the freedom to travel, work, drive and vote. Identity documents are key to participating in and belonging to our communities. Like all people, transgender people need identity documents that match who we are so we can move through life without facing harassment, exclusion or threats to our safety. This law specifically makes it harder for us to obtain accurate identification, creating barriers to everyday activities that the majority of my fellow lawmakers take for granted.
All Kansans, including those who are LGBTQ+, should have the freedom to move through everyday life without government interference and incentivized harassment. We don’t need politicians meddling in our private lives or investigating our medical records on the taxpayers’ dime. As lawmakers, we should be focused on keeping Kansans in their homes, raising wages and making groceries and other essentials affordable. Instead, my legislative colleagues have chosen to attack an already vulnerable community for political gain.
Regardless of the effect this law personally has on me, this isn’t about politics. It’s about protecting our families from unnecessary and harmful government interference. No matter your political beliefs, we can all agree that every person deserves to be treated with respect and fairness. This law contradicts those values by singling out a small group of our neighbors and co-workers for different treatment under the law.
This legislation will have real consequences for all Kansans. It will create legal vulnerabilities for businesses, burden law enforcement with unnecessary enforcement duties and subject those of us who are transgender to harassment and violence. And it certainly won’t help families put food on the table, pay their medical bills or afford their children’s day care.
Since my transition, many people have asked me why I don’t move to a state where I can continue public service and be treated with more dignity. For more than a decade, my answer has always been the same: The work is here. Kansas is a beautiful state. Kansas is my home, and we have a lot of good things going for us. So I’m staying here to defend the freedom of all Kansans, whether the majority party likes it or not.
