On Thursday, the Kansas House of Representatives failed to override Democrat Governor Laura Kelly’s veto of Senate Bill 55, also known as the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, which was legislation that would have barred biological men identifying as females from participating in women’s sports in the state. The state’s Senate easily passed the override on Tuesday, but the override failed by three votes in the House of Representatives.
Proponents of the bill say it was necessary in order to keep biological males from having an unfair advantage over biological females in athletic competition. Boys are naturally bigger, stronger, and faster than most girls and they retain those attributes even when undergoing hormone therapies.
In her decision to veto the legislation, Kelly lamented that the bill lacked inclusivity and could put transgendered children at risk of bullying, discrimination, and even suicide.
“This legislation sends a devastating message that Kansas is not welcoming to all children and their families, including those who are transgender — who are already at a higher risk of bullying, discrimination and suicide,” Kelly wrote.
“As Kansans, we should be focused on how to include all students in extracurricular activities rather than how to exclude those who may be different from us. Kansas is an inclusive state and our laws should reflect our values. This law does not do that.”
Kelly also worried that the bill could cause economic harm to the state.
“The bill would undoubtedly harm our ability to attract and retain businesses. It would send a signal to prospective companies that Kansas is more focused on unnecessary and divisive legislation, than strategic, pro-growth lawmaking.”
Republicans argued that the bill was about protecting fairness in women’s athletics in the state.
“The case has already been convincingly made by doctors, scientists, professional athletes that women need a category in nearly every sport to compete with fairness,” said Republican representative Susan Humphries.
But that’s wrong, according to Representative Stephanie Byers, a Democrat and Kansas’ first transgender legislator, who also believes that the issue is too small for the big fuss anyway, arguing that “maybe one trans girl in all of Kansas … is trying to participate in athletics.”
But as the Lia Thomas swimming saga bore out, one biological male competing unfairly against biological females can cost women opportunities in sports and rewrite the record books.
Byers, who first came out as transgendered in 2014 after a long teaching career, was also at the center of more controversy earlier this week when an e-mail from female colleague Cheryl Helmer (R) surfaced, saying that she did not appreciate the biological male Byers using the same restroom as the rest of the women.
“Now, personally I do not appreciate the huge transgender female who is now in our restrooms in the Capitol,” Helmer’s e-mail allegedly read. The e-mail was leaked by University of Kansas graduate student Brenan Riffel, who describes “themself” as trans-feminine and uses the pronouns they/them.
Asked by The Nation how “they” felt about the perceived slight, Byers said, “Obviously, it’s extremely frustrating. I’ve been serving in the House since 2021. I have assumed that I have been the subject of office and backroom chatter on the other side of the aisle. For the first transgender legislator in the state of Kansas, I stand as an anathema to all of those things that the Republican Party is pushing forward. The surprise is that it was said out loud.”
Actually, it wasn’t said out loud. It was in an e-mail leaked by a transgendered activist, but why should facts matter when you deny your own biology?
At least 15 states have already enacted legislation to protect women’s sports from infringement by transgendered athletes. Kansas Republicans vow to keep up the fight to add their state to the ones interested in competitive fairness in women’s athletics.
“It’s an issue that’s going to come into play in this election cycle,” said GOP representative Steve Huebert.
Kelly’s likely opponent for the governor’s race this November is Attorney General Derek Schmidt. Schmidt has already said he would have signed the bill.
“From shutting down schools for the year earlier than any other state to vetoing legislation that would protect a parent’s role in their children’s education, Democrat Laura Kelly has told voters repeatedly the parent’s concerns don’t matter,” said Joanna Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for the Republican Governors Association.
More and more, Democrats continue to align with the absurdities of the LGBTQ agenda. It could ultimately lead to their downfall in November. While no one wishes ill for the poor, confused, and lied to transgender community, neither do most wish to blindly follow their agenda to the doors of Sodom and Gomorrah.
