Last month, transgender Kansans who had updated their driver’s license or birth certificate to reflect their identity received letters informing them that their updated documents would be invalidated by Feb. 26, with no grace period. This follows the overriding of Gov. Kelly’s veto of Senate Bill 244, a bill that also restricts transgender individuals from using the bathrooms and multi-occupancy spaces that they identify with.
The bill allows people to sue anyone that they suspect is using the wrong restroom for damages of at least $1,000, and puts transgender Kansans at risk of a $1,000 fine or even jail time for driving with an invalid license.
Some community members said this bill has induced a feeling of panic amongst transgender Kansans, and many interpret the bill as cruel and discriminatory.
“In overriding Governor Kelly’s veto to pass SB 244, Kansas republicans have said that trans Kansans are not legally people,” Phillip Nell, a member of the governing board of Indivisible MHK and Kansas State english professor, said. “To reclassify a human being as not a human being is a very dangerous lie … it is saying, some people are less people than others, and that is the sort of state-sanctioned cruelty that leads to evil. People are people. And that’s not up for debate, ever. This law brings shame to the state of Kansas.”
SB 244 has defined gender as one’s sex at birth, officially creating the boundaries for what multi-occupancy private spaces people may use.
Nell said some transgender Kansans may fear using public restrooms or driving their car.
“If somebody wants to use the bathroom that matches their gender, that seems like a good idea, because that’s what bathrooms are for,” he said. “The only problem that [SB 244] is addressing is the one that has been invented by the people promoting it, and it will have real consequences for people who have done nothing except be who they are.”
According to Amber Starling, a member of the Indivisible MHK governing board, Indivisible MHK is working on a rideshare program for those whose licenses were invalidated.
“It’s like a $1,000 fine if they get caught driving on a suspended license, even though it’s not their fault it was suspended,” Starling said. “So the urgency with the rideshare program is to fulfill the ongoing needs that we’re going to see for our trans neighbors. The goal with this program is to actually have a coordinator that people can reach out to directly, and then they can reach out to a pool of available drivers and be able to set up an appointment. It’s like Uber, except it’s free because it’s just us caring about our community.”
Additionally, Equality Kansas has partnered with the LGBTQ foundation of Kansas to help those affected with ID and state identification replacement fees, travel expenses related to state identification document replacements and relocation expenses.
As for the K-State community, Mikey Schneider, co-chair of Young Democratic Socialists of America at Kansas State, calls for the community to work together.
“This should be a reminder to people that we’re stronger together and we need to organize to protect each other to resist these incursions into our liberties.”
