It is an understatement to say our state and federal governments are making the lives of transgender Americans difficult. As of March 14, the ACLU has identified 527 anti-LGBTQ bills proposed in state legislatures in 2025.
The Kansas legislature overrode Governor Kelly’s veto and banned gender affirming healthcare for minors last month. In Iowa, a law recently passed to exclude transgender people from its state’s civil rights protections. A bill proposed in Texas this month aims to make it a felony to commit “gender identity fraud.” This is defined as transgender people asserting their true gender, not their sex assigned at birth, to their employer.
At the federal level, a flurry of executive orders are working to eliminate the government’s recognition of transgender people. One order barred transgender athletes from competing in sports under the correct gender designation. This is despite the fact that there are less than ten known transgender athletes within the over 500,000 athletes within the NCAA. Another order has banned transgender people from joining the military. Congress has also introduced several anti-transgender bills, from restricting access to life-saving healthcare from transgender people to prohibiting transgender people from restrooms corresponding with their gender. I doubt there is a single transgender person who has not experienced significant harm and distress from the recent actions of our government.
So, what can our Kansas State community do to support our transgender students, faculty and staff?
Refuse to comply with hate in advance
K-State has the moral obligation to maintain its offices, programs and support for all marginalized people, including transgender people. The recent dismantling of K-State’s Office for Access and Opportunity is an excellent counterexample to this. If there is no legal order to take actions that will harm any of our students, faculty and staff, then K-State must refuse to take it. Rather than letting fear take hold, we all must stand unwavering in our protection and support of all of our Wildcat family.
Support LGBTQIA+ organizations and resources
There are a plethora of student-run organizations at K-State that foster a space of acceptance and community for transgender students. Some of these organizations include Sexuality and Gender Alliance, oSTEM, Cultivating Change and Athlete Allies. Similarly, the LGBTQ Faculty Staff Alliance is a great place for non-students to help advocate and advance transgender acceptance at K-State. The Spectrum Center, located in 207 Holton Hall, is open to everyone at K-State. It provides information and resources for people who want to learn more about how to support queer, transgender and intersex people. Supporting these organizations and the events they host, even if you are not transgender, helps to maintain a community of acceptance and resilience for transgender people at K-State.
Show your support for transgender people
While small, individual actions may seem insignificant, every demonstration of allyship to transgender people shows them that you are a safe person for them to be around. Including your pronouns into your K-State email signature, social media profile and when introducing yourself shows transgender people that they are safe to tell you their pronouns, too. Similarly, putting a transgender pin on your backpack can show transgender people you encounter across campus that you are supportive. If you encounter someone that says something transphobic, regardless of whether it is intentional, malicious or simply uninformed, make a point of correcting their mistake. Oftentimes, transgender people notice these comments but are too afraid to speak up for themselves. All of these signs of support do not go unnoticed by transgender people and make a world of difference in our increasingly hostile political climate.
