ACTION ALERT: KANSAS SB484 Attacks Transgender Youth in Sports

The Mid-America LGBT Chamber of Commerce asks members and member representatives to reach out to local representatives of the Kansas Senate and the Committee on Education to provide opposition testimony for Senate Bill #484, which attacks the rights of transgender athletes in public elementary, secondary, or post-secondary schools and educational institutions.

The Kansas High School Sports Commission and the NCAA already have solutions in place that are working.  There are currently only five active transgender high school athletes in our state, and there is no known case of a transgender athlete having won a Kansas championship.

These constant attacks on the LGBTQ+ community by our state legislature send a message to the over 5% of Kansans who are LGBTQ+ that they are not welcome in our state. In a state where most citizens believe in small government, bills like this are the epitome of government overreach. They are political theater designed to incite a base of voters to the polls for the expediency of those proposing these bills, and they risk damage to the economic recovery of Kansas.

Workforce development will determine if Kansas is an economic leader in our nation.  Bills like SB484 tell the LGBTQ+ community, families, and friends that they are not welcome in Kansas. A recent release Gallop poll cites that 7.1% of the next generation workforce identify as LGBTQ.  Over 71% of their generation care about LGBTQ+ rights. Those individuals are leaving Kansas rather than coming here because of short-sighted bills like SB484.

A hearing about this bill is scheduled at the State Capital on Monday, March 7^th at 1:30 pm. The Chamber’s Executive Director, Suzanne Wheeler, is expected to testify against this bill.  There will be a rally against SB484 on the first floor of the rotunda with Kansas’ four openly LGBTQ+ state representatives, Stephanie Byers, Susan Ruiz, Heather Meyer, and Brandon Woodard.

If you would like to submit a written statement opposing this bill, the committee deadline is noon tomorrow, Friday, March 4.  Your statement should be in PDF format and emailed to the committee assistant Cyndie Rexer at Cyndie.Rexer@senate.ks.gov

Your written testimony may be any length and should have this format:

First and Last Name

Title and Organization (if any)

Opponent Testimony of SB 484

For the Senate Education Committee