TOPEKA — As tensions boiled over in a heated debate Wednesday night over a proposal to ban transgender girls and women from sports, Sen. Renee Erickson deflected concerns about the mental state of transgender youths.
Democrats insisted the scrutiny the bill would place on a vulnerable population of children would lead to more suicide, that lawmakers will have blood on their hands. Erickson, a Republican from Wichita, insisted the legislation was just about ensuring fair competition among girls.
“I find it incredibly insulting to use the hyperbole that there will be blood on our hands,” Erickson said.