February 23-27
TL/DR: The 2-Minute Read
Actions to Take Right Now
- Testify in Person Today (at 4:30 p.m.): Today, the House Emerging Issues Committee will hear three bathroom bans targeting trans Missourians. These bills span sex-segreggating restrooms in private and public schools, public buildings, government and state controlled buildings, and into public accommodations. If you’re a college administrator, educator, coach, athlete, clergy, physician, or an employer – we need your voices.
- Submit Written Testimony Today (before 11:59 p.m.): We also know you may not be able to attend, so we encourage you to submit written testimony on those three bills — HB 2075 (Phelps), HB 1893 (Hausman), and HB 2536 (Laubinger). You’re able to do so through the House website until 11:59 p.m. tonight.
- Donate and Support Our Legislative Work: Finally, our team is in the building every single day and we’re only able to do that because of the continued support of our community. A donation today allows us to continue fighting against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
Important Updates to Know
- The House debated and passed SB 1663 (Seitz), a bill removing the expiration date from the current trans athlete ban making it permanent. This makes the second anti-trans bill the House has passed in February, with both heading to the Senate now.
- Kansas passes SB 24, with legislators overriding Governor Kelly’s veto. This immediately invalidated Kansans’ driver’s licenses and birth certificates if the sex marker was different than assigned at birth. It also restricts the ability of trans people to use public bathrooms and allows others to sue those in violation of the law.
- Three bathroom bans were noticed up in Missouri for a public hearing by Chairman Christ of the House Emerging Issues Committee on the heels of the Kansas law going into effect.
A Deeper Dive of This Week
Our trans communities in both Missouri and Kansas felt immense political violence this last week. The Missouri House passed yet another anti-trans bill out of the chamber (two in one month) and Kansas lawmakers enacted a sweeping erasure law. Below, you’ll get in-depth information about everything that happened in Missouri as well as what you can do to support impacted trans Kansans. We also encourage you to watch our social media channels to witness powerful stories and perspectives from champion lawmakers on why the Missouri legislature has no business passing anti-trans laws.
We have a strong fight in us still, and we’ll continue to fight hard in the Senate to stop the sunset bills from becoming law.
Missouri: The House Passes Another Anti-Trans Bill
The House debated and passed SB 1663 (Seitz). The bill aims to remove the expiration date from the current trans athlete ban targeting students from kindergarten through college in public, private, and charter schools from being able to play on sanctioned school teams that align with their gender identity. These laws have never been about sports. If they were, politicians wouldn’t take a complicated issue and apply regulations meant for elite athletics to kindergarteners — let alone all athletes. These bills have always been about conservative politicians bullying trans children in order to gain campaign credibility as they seek higher offices and re-elections.
Many Democrats stood up for trans youth in the fight to join all your voices speaking out to defend the dignity of trans youth. We even heard those who shared personal stories highlighting the real impacts these bills have. Yet, as we’ve seen countless times since these laws passed in 2023, Republican lawmakers absurdly and offensively purport that the bills are not about trans young people. An inquiry by Rep. Ingle to Rep. Seitz showcased this:
“Transgender is not in this legislation,” said Rep. Seitz. “It’s nowhere in the bill. It’s nowhere in current statute. This is simply the sunset removal.” Rep. Ingle followed up by asking, “Will you file another bill pertaining to trans people if this bill becomes law?” Rep. Seitz replied, “I don’t think that’s in my wheelhouse. This is sport.”
So as we start the month of March, the House chamber has now passed two anti-trans bills. You’ll remember that at the top of February, the House passed HB 2033 (Schmidt, R-141) which seeks to remove the expiration dates that would make the healthcare ban for trans young people permanent in our state. This bill was read into the Senate last week and referred to the Senate Families, Seniors, and Health Committee. It awaits being scheduled for a public hearing as its next step.
Kansas: Veto Overridden, Bathroom Ban Enacted
Kansas legislators overrode the governor’s veto of SB 244. It’s a law that does three things: (1) restricts the ability of trans people to use public bathrooms, (2) allows others to sue those in violation of the law, and (3) immediately invalidates Kansans’ driver’s licenses and birth certificates if the sex marker is different than what was assigned at birth.
This law has left countless Kansans scrambling with the knowledge that their driver’s licenses and other documents are no longer seen as valid by the state. We know that many in our own state may be impacted as queer and trans people cross borders so regularly, particularly those along the western border. If you’re wanting to help those impacted, visit eqks.org to support trans Kansans harmed by SB 244 and consider supporting some of the amazing Kansas-based organizations like Loud Light, the LGBTQ Foundation of Kansas, Trans Women of Color Collective, Equality Kansas, ACLU of Kansas, Our Spot KC, and Transformations. We see the amazing work you’re doing, each and every day.
Missouri: Bathroom Bans Return
On the heels of the Kansas veto, Chairman Christ of the Missouri House Emerging Issues Committee noticed three bathroom bans up for a public hearing today at 4:30 p.m. Missouri has not seen bills this violent since 2022 and we are outraged to have to stand up to them again, particularly after the House already passed two anti-trans bills in February. Here are the three bills and how they target trans Missourians:
HB 2075 (Phelps)
- Tries to prevent trans Missourians from using restrooms and facilities in public building that match their gender identity
- Tries to prevent trans students from using restrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity at public and charter schools, as well as in public institutions of higher education
- Expands application of the definitions found in law banning trans healthcare
- Requires designation of private spaces for use only by biological sex, applying to private spaces “owned, operated, or controlled by” state agency or political subdivisions
HB 1893 (Hausman)
- Tries to prevent private school transgender students from using restrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity
- Creates a new definition of “sex” based on the gender marker on a person’s original birth certificate
- Takes immediate effect when signed into law
HB 2536 (Laubinger)
- Aims to severely restrict the ability of trans and gender expansive Missourians to exist in public life by attempting to prohibit them from accessing essential facilities like restrooms and other sex-segregated facilities in government buildings, schools, charter schools, junior colleges, institutions of higher education, municipal buildings, detention facilities, and family violence shelters.
- Aims to permanently ban trans young people and athletes from participating in sports on teams that align with their gender identity
- Aims to govern all Missouri law and statutes pertaining to gender or sex by defining “female” and “male” based on assumption of reproductive gametes, and defining “sex” as only female and male
- Requires designation of private spaces for use only by biological sex, applying to private spaces “owned, operated, or controlled by” state agency or political subdivisions
- Makes a false claim that this bill is necessary for “the protection of women”
Now, how did bathrooms bans even start? Beginning around 2015, in an effort to erode public support for LGBTQ+ nondiscrimination protections like the MONA in Missouri, opponents of LGBTQ+ equality began to focus on the use of restrooms by transgender women as a scare tactic.
Bills banning trans people from using the restroom began to proliferate across the country, but after a highly visible fight against North Carolina’s HB 2, these bills died down only to be replaced with sports and medical care bans. Since 2022, however, we have seen these bills return with a vengeance. In just a few years, fourteen states have passed laws banning trans people from using facilities consistent with their gender identity in K-12 schools. Some of those states have also gone on to ban restroom access in all government-owned buildings, colleges, and beyond. This is a core part of the systematic and growing attack on trans people in all aspects of life.
