Kansas legislators are devoting a considerable amount of energy to seeing that transgender youths are banned from participating in school and intramural sports.
The danger of such activities?
None proven.
But that’s not stopping Republican conservatives from inserting themselves into what should be very private affairs. Once again, it’s those who rail about the heavy-handedness of “big government” that seem to have no problem telling others how to live their lives.
Besides being a gross misnomer, the bill, “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act,” would require athletic programs from elementary school through college to ensure that only those born as females can compete on girls athletic teams.
Gov. Laura Kelly calls the legislation “regressive.”
We would add hateful, discriminatory, and dangerous. And let’s be honest, this argument is not about sports, but about “erasing” those youths who do not identify with their birth gender.
Gender is complicated, both scientifically and otherwise. It’s not simply a matter of identifying sexual organs. We need education, compassion and understanding about these issues.
Instead, our elected officials are promoting a practice of punishment.
As a society, we need to support these youths especially during their formative years so that they grow up confident of their talents, from kicking a soccer ball to studying medicine.
In his first week in office, President Joe Biden issued an executive order reinstating the upholding of rights and protections of the LGBTQ community guaranteed under Title IX.
As a state, we owe all students a safe place to learn and thrive, whether it be in the classroom, the stage or football field.
In regard to athletics, the notion that transgender athletes have chosen this lifestyle so they can “dominate” on the field or court is based on a flawed understanding on what it means to be transgender. A transgender girl views herself in every sense of the word as female. She should not be punished by those who cannot come to accept her identity.
Kansas has hopped on the wagon along with other Republican-dominated state legislatures targeting transgenders. In all of their testimony, none have been able to cite examples of transgender students’ participation causing problems.
OPPONENTS of the bill include the Kansas National Education Association that represents state educators.
