TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republicans in the Kansas Senate have approved a ban on transgender athletes in girl’s and women’s school sports with enough votes to override an expected veto from Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.
The 27-12 vote Tuesday sent the measure to the House. Conservatives had exactly the two-thirds majority they would need for a veto override, with one Republican senator absent.
LGBTQ-rights advocates argue that the bill represents discrimination and targets transgender youth who already are vulnerable to bullying and suicide. There’s no evidence that there are more than a handful of transgender students participating in extracurricular activities.
