The government says no: Devolution of Kansas civil rights harms transgender youths

Kansans rally in support of transgender rights May 5, 2023, at the Statehouse in Topeka. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

When the words “the government says no” come out of the mouth of your child’s health care provider, it feels surreal.

Even though I have watched society devolve in real time, it is still a mystery to me as to why some humans feel such authority over others.

“The government no longer allows your child’s right to hormone therapy. Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do.”

Watching the light drain from my child’s eyes, the fear washing over her face and then mine as her doctor broke the news. She followed that with the fact she was leaving Kansas to practice in a more welcoming state come August. Tyranny affects everyone in the end.

This is the consequence of actions taken by our elected officials. This past session, the Kansas Legislature passed Senate Bill 63, a gender-affirming care ban for LGBTQ+ minors. This bill, pushed by the Kansas Republican Party, effectively banned puberty blockers and hormones for minors, implicated the social transitioning of minors and threatens the licenses of medical providers.

An ER doctor in a rural Kansas community recently asked me: “How did everything work with her transition? How did the surgeries go?”

I thought, “Surgeries? How can a medical doctor be so ignorant of the process of transitioning?”

I had to explain that children do not have surgeries. You have to be grown and pass a psych evaluation for that type of surgery. The misinformation has crept into the most sensitive places when medical professionals become disillusioned by political gab. Misinformation and disinformation play a huge role in anti-trans legislation and policy we see popping up across the country.

In our state, flawed and disproven studies around efficacy and standards were used to justify SB 63. While this rhetoric plays a clear role in partisan politics, to see it seep into the perceptions of everyday Kansans is a travesty.

The ER doctor followed up, “What step is your teen on?”

None. Because Kansas has made it a crime to treat her.

What does treatment for my child mean? Hormone blockers. A delay in puberty that can be reversed. As she ages, and if she is physically and emotionally ready for more of a transition, she can start doing hormone therapy. Or she could have. That decision was taken from her, her endocrinologist and her parents when the Kansas Legislature overrode Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto.

The Legislature singled out a marginalized minority in this state and put a target on their foreheads.

The majority of Americans do not hate trans humans. The majority do not appreciate them being dehumanized. The majority of Americans do not find it necessary to erase the trans population. According to a 2017 poll by the Williams Institute, 67% of respondents from Kansas said they supported laws that would protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination in jobs, housing and public accommodations.

Taking the “T” out of LGBTQ+ and making trans people hide in the shadows does not erase these beautiful humans, young or old. Those who harm will be remembered for their cruelty and their opposition to inclusion and freedom.

You see, the goal has never been “small government.” The goal has been control, sound bites, false outrage, lies, misinformation, half-truths and malicious intent. This is in step with many Republicans’ patriarchal approach to women’s rights, trans rights, LGBTQ+ rights in general and the rights of every dark-complected human in the states and abroad.

What’s the fight now? Freedom. Freedom for the largest number of human beings. That’s why we hit the streets and share the message of liberty and equality. That is why we hold town halls, why we meet to resist oppression wherever it rears its head. It’s why we speak up and hold the politicians who vote against our freedoms accountable for their votes, words and tone.

According to the UCLA Williams Institute, the LGBTQ+ community makes up 3.3% of the Kansas population, and 33% of that 3.3% are children.

That accounts for 1% of our entire population. That is the whole pie, not just the “T.”

Our government has attacked a marginalized population, taken their voices away by threat. It is our job as community organizers to provide sanctuary to those most affected and stand together to tell our government we will not tolerate the hate campaigns, and we will not exclude these instrumental Kansans from the rights we all hold dear as Americans.

Manda Jones is an author, publisher, mother and strong advocate for social change. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here.