God created mankind male and female, in His image and likeness, which cannot be changed.
Men and women are fundamentally different from each other and yet complementary to each other. People are born genetically with clear male or female chromosomes and a vast majority with clearly identifiable biological characteristics that indicate male or female. Indeed, sexual identity is written into the DNA of every cell in our bodies. As such, our biological sex is intricately interwoven with how we live in society and relate to others.
As men and women made in the image of God, transgender-identifying individuals deserve our respect, compassion and care as “neighbors” whom we should love as ourselves. As an outflowing of this care for our neighbors, Kansas Family Voice supports public policy that affirms the unique and complementary roles both men and women play in society and for the family. We oppose efforts that would bring further harm — physical, mental, emotional or spiritual — to those struggling with their identity in this way and attempts to “normalize” this behavior in society—especially amongst impressionable children.
What happened in 2023?
- H.B. 2236: The Fairness in Women’s in Sports Act ensures that biological men cannot take women’s opportunities in athletics. Gov. Kelly vetoed this legislation for the third year in a row. However, this year the House and the Senate overrode her veto and it now becomes law in Kansas!
- S.B. 180: The Women’s Bill of Rights: Provides a definition of a woman for courts to use to interpret other statutes. This will help protect women’s spaces and opportunities like locker rooms, prisons, and other sex segregated spaces. Gov. Kelly has vetoed this bill and the House and Senate overrode her veto and now this bill becomes law!
- S.B. 26: Childhood Mutilation Prevention Act: Ensures that Kansas children cannot be subject to experimental surgeries and procedures attempting to change their gender. Governor Kelly has vetoed this law.
MAKING SENSE OF IT ALL
Here are brief definitions of terms often used interchangeably but with distinct differences.
TRANSGENDER
Transgender individuals believe themselves to be the opposite sex from which they were born. If a man says he feels like a woman, dresses like a woman, acts like a woman, and calls himself a “woman,” then that individual has a “transgender identity.”
GENDER DYSPHORIA (GD)
Gender dysphoria is a medical term used to refer to an individual who has intense unease with their biological body.
TRANSVESTITE
A transvestite (today called cross-dressers) is someone who play-acts as the opposite sex, usually in dramatic, stereotypical fashion, (think drag-queen). Cross-dressers often do not desire to live as the opposite sex full-time or become the opposite sex.
JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE SUFFERS FROM GENDER DYSPHORIA DOES NOT MEAN THEY ARE OR WANT TO BECOME TRANSGENDER. IN FACT, SOMEONE EXPERIENCING GD MAY SEEK A THERAPIST FOR HELP.
However, many transgender-identifying people may not feel they struggle with GD. A man, living as a woman, may deny he has GD and argue he’s perfectly happy as a woman. And some struggling with GD will seek out legal, medical, and cultural ways to live their life as the opposite sex. This is called transitioning.
A person who is transitioning is in the process of trying to change from living as a male to a female or from a female to a male. A person who is transitioning may be content to dress and present as the opposite sex. Yet, some will also start taking hormones or undergo surgeries (to change their bodies), change their name and sex marker on their birth certificate, and be identified solely as the sex they desire.
GENDER IDENTITY IS NOT CONSTITUTIONAL
Our Founding Fathers through our Constitution established protections to promote our God-given rights and immutable characteristics. The protections for all citizens, which are required to appear in all state and federal civil rights statutes include: religion/creed, race and national origin/ancestry. Every state must have these protections for all people by law.
State legislatures cannot take away these protections, but they can add to them. Some that have been added include; sex (as in biological sex at birth), age, physical and mental disability. Neither the Constitution nor federal law provide special protections or rights for people based on their “sexual orientation” or “gender identity.” Despite this, activists seek to either add “sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI)” to the list of protections or have the word “sex” in current statutes interpreted to include SOGI.
These activists are targeting Federal and State legislatures, local governments — and even local school boards.
DISCRIMINATION IN THE DISGUISE OF “EQUALITY”
State legislatures around the nation have started to create the legal status of “gender identity.” These laws claim to protect the “equality” of everyone.
In reality, they pander to activists who make up less than 1% of the population. To enforce Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity (SOGI) laws, the government is given legal authority to discriminate against anyone with an opposing belief.
Remember Jack Phillips, the cake-baker from Colorado? The government used a state SOGI law to determine that Jack was discriminating because he declined to use his artistic talents to bake a “gender transition” cake. We’ve seen state governments censor the speech of teachers, counselors, and others who disagree with the transgender agenda as a result of their sincerely held religious beliefs.
The government should be in the business of protecting the freedoms of all Americans — not punishing certain groups for their ideas and beliefs.
THE FOLLOWING MAP SHOWS WHICH STATES HAVE ADDED “SEXUAL ORIENTATION” AND “GENDER IDENTITY” SPECIAL PROTECTIONS IN THEIR STATE STATUTES.
GENDER IDENTITY IN POLICY
Here are some policy areas where the “gender identity” ideology negatively impacts the fundamental rights of the majority of Americans. Kansas Family Voice actively opposes the following types of laws or policies throughout the nation:
PUBLIC FACILITIES
SOGI laws passed in the state Public Accommodations statutes affect public spaces like bathrooms, locker rooms, and pools. These laws are often referred to as “transgender bathroom laws.” Traditionally, locker rooms or restrooms in public spaces have been intentionally separated by sex to protect the dignity, privacy, and safety of everyone, but especially women and children.
Watch this real-life story
THERAPY BANS
Therapy ban laws prohibit therapists from helping minors to identify with their birth-sex. (These bans also prohibit minors from receiving therapy to resolve their unwanted same-sex attraction. To learn more, click here.) In other words, if a teen or child is struggling with unwanted gender-dysphoria they cannot get licensed-professional counseling that will help them resolve their feelings. They can, however, get counseling that encourages them to change their gender and even go through irreversible sex-change operations and sterilizing hormone therapy.
IDENTITY DOCUMENTS
Some states are beginning to change their laws to allow transgender-identifying individuals to have their sex changed on their birth certificates, driver’s licenses, and other identity documents without ever having had a sex-change operation or without marking the original identity document as “amended.”
Identity documents, like the birth certificate, are official government-issued records that have been relied upon for their historical accuracy and security. If someone can change their sex-marker, there are many questions as to how officials (like law enforcement agents) can meaningfully identify individuals when necessary.
THE FAR-REACHING IMPACT OF GENDER IDEOLOGY
The following displays a summary of the complex ways in which gender ideology is affecting many aspects of life for American families.
SCHOOLS
Schools are beginning to pass policies that prohibit “discrimination” on the basis of gender identity. When schools pass these policies, it often means boys (who say they are girls) will have access to girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms. These boys will also be able to compete on girls’ sports teams, live in women’s dorms and take advantage of women’s scholarships. In addition, legislatures are also passing sex education guidelines that allow for graphic and even pornographic depictions of sex acts for gay and transgender teens in the name of “inclusivity.”
KANSAS CITY: Stop the City from Pushing Kids to Change Gender
A Kansas City (MO) city council committee is about to consider an ordinance that would push many minors towards transgenderism. Your quick help is needed to stop it! Ordinance 190902 is what is known as a “counseling ban.” It would censor professional counseling for children and teens who are struggling with their gender identity. But
SPEAK UP
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