No Hate: Not Then, Not Now, Not Ever

Kansas sh*ts the bed with SB 244

On Thursday February 26, 2026 the Republican controlled legislature in Kansas passed Senate Bill 244, overriding Democratic Governor Laura Kelly’s veto. The act strips transgender people of their legal ID, freedom of movement, autonomy, self sufficiency and ability to register to vote by invalidating their driver’s licenses if they do not reflect the sex they were assigned at birth.

Governor Kelly released the following statement regarding the override of her veto: “As I said in my veto statement, this is a poorly drafted bill with significant, far-reaching consequences. Not only will this bill keep brothers from visiting sisters’ dorms and husbands from wives’ shared hospital rooms, it will cost Kansas taxpayers millions of dollars to comply with this very vague legislation. It is nothing short of ridiculous that the Legislature is forcing the entire state, every city and town, every school district, every public university to spend taxpayer money on a manufactured problem. Kansans elected them to focus on education, job creation, housing, and grocery costs.”

Graceless

The law immediately went into effect and retroactively invalidated driver’s licenses that people legally obtained with updated gender markers. The law also allows transphobic individuals to bring lawsuits against people accused of using the ‘wrong’ toilet in government buildings.

The letter that the Kansas Division of Vehicles sent to affected people stated “If you have received this notice, your current Kansas credential will no longer be valid.”

The Kansas Legislature’s actions encourage anti-trans behavior with rhetoric and rules that seek to deny the humanity, validity, and dignity of transgender people. We cannot let this go or remain silent as their ultimate cruel goal is to systematically exclude trans people from public life and public spaces by dissolving their rights with extremist policies and the deliberate misuse of terms that misgender, or deadname people. It is a violation of human rights and is directly linked to the “erasure” of trans people from public life. It is stochastic terrorism. [source: Human Rights First]

KS SB 244 is a catastrophic failure ungrounded in science, rooted in ignorance. Gender is a patchwork, and science backs this up over and over. Last year, Katja Sterzik in an article in Deutsche Welle, presented multiple sources of research revealing that biologically, sex and gender aren’t binary issues. [Source: DW]

As of early 2026 the U.S. Census Bureau estimates the nation’s population is between 342 to 348 million and only 2.8 million of those people identify as trans — that is only 1%. Once again the right wing is targeting the wrong 1%.

Fight Back. Key organizations and resources in Kansas:

ACLU of Kansas along with the national ACLU and Ballard Spahr LLP, is fighting Kansas Senate Bill 244 (SB 244) through a lawsuit filed in Douglas County District Court. The lawsuit alleges the law violates the Kansas Constitution by threatening transgender, nonbinary, and gender-diverse individuals’ rights to privacy, equality, and safety. Donate to ACLU KANSAS HERE.
Loud Light engages, educates, and empowers individuals from underrepresented populations to build community power that has an impact on decision makers. Transforming Kansas through voter registration, informative videos, coalition building, civic engagement, youth voter turnout with the vision of You becoming a visible vocal force for good in your community. https://www.loudlight.org/
LGBTQ Foundation of Kansas is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides a “buddy system” of mutual aid, and resources for LGBTQIA+ individuals in Kansas. (Website: https://lgbtqks.org/)
KIFA Kansas Interfaith Action is a statewide, multi-faith organization that advocates for social justice, including LGBTQ+ rights, in Kansas. Through its working groups, KIFA engages in advocacy and educational efforts, such as recognizing Transgender Day of Remembrance, aiming to promote justice and equity for LGBTQ+ individuals. (Website: https://www.kansasinterfaithaction.org/)
The Trans Continental Pipeline (TCP) is a grassroots mutual aid network turned 501c3 nonprofit based in Denver CO. We provide resources to help 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals move from unsafe situations and political climates to the great state of Colorado! We have four steps, each with new resources being constantly added. If you need support, click the Get Help button or contact us! https://tcpipeline.org/

Transformations KC: Focuses on harm reduction, trauma-informed care, and leadership for transgender people in the Kansas City region. (Website: https://transformationskc.org/)
Equality Kansas: Advocates for LGBTQ+ rights, including transgender rights, through political lobbying and community action. (Website: https://eqks.org/)
Trans Lawrence Coalition: Offers local resources and support for the transgender community in Lawrence, KS. (Website: https://tlcks.org/resources/)
ACLU of Kansas: Fights against anti-trans legislation and for legal rights regarding gender markers. (Website: LGBTQ+ Advocacy Resource Hub – ACLU of Kansas)
The Transgender Institute: Provides healthcare services including gender therapy, hormone therapy, and primary care. (Website: https://transinstitute.org/)
Our Spot KC: A hub for resources that support, advance, and equip LGBTQ+ individuals. (Website: https://lgbtqkc.com/resources/local)
EQUAL Trans Support Group: An all-ages, all-genders support and social group in the KC area. (Email: equal@inclusivekc.org)

Other ways to take action:

Donate: Support mutual aid funds like the LGBT Foundation of Kansas, which directly help with housing, bills, and resources.
Volunteer: Join organizations like Transformations KC, Equality Kansas, or local mutual aid groups like WYCO/KC Mutual Aid.
Attend/Support: Participate in events and donate to community-focused groups such as the Trans Lawrence Coalition.

Science matters. There are more than two genders

We share a planet with beautiful biological diversity and balance of life. Scientific research increasingly describes biological sex not as a simple binary, but as a multidimensional spectrum influenced by genetics, chromosomes, and hormones.

In a 2018 article by Scientific American “Sex Redefined: The Idea of 2 Sexes is Overly Simplistic” researchers determined that the idea of 2 sexes is overly simplistic. Biologists now think there is a larger spectrum than just binary female and male. While the majority of people are born with XX or XY chromosomes, many individuals possess variations that do not fit these typical categories. [sources: American Society for Reproductive Medicine and Scientific American Magazine]

How far to the point of no return?

A study by The University of Pittsburgh in 2020 determined that religious dogma causes oppression when rigid beliefs are used to justify, normalize, or enforce the marginalization, dehumanization, or violence against minority groups, often driven by dominant groups enforcing conformity. Historically and currently, this manifests through state-sanctioned discrimination and anti-LGBTQ+ laws… [source: Department of Religious Studies Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences]

Anti-trans legislation and rhetoric correlate with higher rates of violence. [Source]

Transgender people are over four times more likely than cisgender people to be victims of violent crime. [Source]

Since May 2024, the ALERT Desk at GLAAD tracked 900+ anti-LGBTQ incidents nationwide – the equivalent of 2.5 incidents every day. [Source]

Forbes Magazine reported on Transgender Remembrance Day in 2024 that the rise in violence against transgender people is enabled by the lack of strong hate crime legislation that protects gender identity and expression, and the manipulative disinformation. [Source]