News and Events => Opinions & Editorials => Topic started by: Jessica_Rose on May 15, 2026, 11:59:10 AM Return to Full Version
Title: American laws are normalizing discrimination against transgender people...
Post by: Jessica_Rose on May 15, 2026, 11:59:10 AM
Post by: Jessica_Rose on May 15, 2026, 11:59:10 AM
American laws are normalizing discrimination against transgender people. Who's next?
https://www.advocate.com/opinion/transgender-kansas-legal-scapegoats
Suzanne B. Goldberg (15 May 2026)
Imagine driving home from work, opening your mail, and learning that your driver's license is now invalid because it lists you as male, but the state believes you are female. Before you get behind the wheel again, even in an emergency, you must go to the motor vehicles office and get a new license with an "F" gender marker. If you don't do this and are stopped by a police officer, you can be charged with a misdemeanor for driving without a valid license. If you do get a new license, the officer might accuse you of fraud because you look like a man, have a male name, and nothing about you suggests that you should have a driver's license indicating you are a woman.
This is the living nightmare for transgender people in Kansas, where a new law abruptly took effect in late February. On March 10, a Kansas court refused to impose a temporary block on the law, saying the transgender individuals who challenged the law under the state's constitution had not shown they needed emergency relief.
This might look like ordinary culture war politics, but what's happening is far more threatening, not just for transgender people but for everyone. Law is being used to whip up anger toward transgender people by blaming them for an array of general societal concerns, from sexual abuse to fraud, from school shootings to national security threats. Law is supposed to fix real problems. When governments tell us it's okay to use law to target one group of people, there is little reason to think it will cut itself off from targeting others.
https://www.advocate.com/opinion/transgender-kansas-legal-scapegoats
Suzanne B. Goldberg (15 May 2026)
Imagine driving home from work, opening your mail, and learning that your driver's license is now invalid because it lists you as male, but the state believes you are female. Before you get behind the wheel again, even in an emergency, you must go to the motor vehicles office and get a new license with an "F" gender marker. If you don't do this and are stopped by a police officer, you can be charged with a misdemeanor for driving without a valid license. If you do get a new license, the officer might accuse you of fraud because you look like a man, have a male name, and nothing about you suggests that you should have a driver's license indicating you are a woman.
This is the living nightmare for transgender people in Kansas, where a new law abruptly took effect in late February. On March 10, a Kansas court refused to impose a temporary block on the law, saying the transgender individuals who challenged the law under the state's constitution had not shown they needed emergency relief.
This might look like ordinary culture war politics, but what's happening is far more threatening, not just for transgender people but for everyone. Law is being used to whip up anger toward transgender people by blaming them for an array of general societal concerns, from sexual abuse to fraud, from school shootings to national security threats. Law is supposed to fix real problems. When governments tell us it's okay to use law to target one group of people, there is little reason to think it will cut itself off from targeting others.
Title: Re: American laws are normalizing discrimination against transgender people...
Post by: KathyLauren on May 15, 2026, 03:47:26 PM
Post by: KathyLauren on May 15, 2026, 03:47:26 PM
True. And when tRump is no more and Repugnicans hide in shame, discrimination against trans people will still remain and will be considered normal.