State invalidates licenses for transgender drivers: ‘There are just two sexes’
Transgender drivers in Kansas have had their licenses invalidated under a new state law that went into effect Thursday. The legislation requires residents to list the sex on their documents as the one assigned at birth.
The Kansas Department of Revenue mailed notices to about 1,700 drivers after the state Legislature, controlled by a Republican supermajority, passed the law prohibiting any documents from showing a gender different from birth-assigned sex.
“Please note that the Legislature did not include a grace period for updating credentials,” the agency wrote, according to the Kansas City Star. “That means that once the law is officially enacted, your current credentials will be invalid immediately, and you may be subject to additional penalties if you are operating a vehicle without a valid credential.”
Democratic Governor Laura Kelly vetoed the legislation, but Republican lawmakers quickly overrode her objection last week. Jae Moyer, an LGBTQ activist, told the Star, “It’s all happening very quickly, and my heart is broken for anyone who this is directly impacting.”
“This bill that the Republicans forced through the Legislature so quickly is doing nothing but creating a problem that doesn’t exist,” said Moyer, a member of the Johnson County Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coalition.
State Senate Majority Leader Chase Blasi, a Republican, cited President Trump’s 2024 election win as evidence that voters support a return “to common sense.” “When I go home, people believe there are just two sexes, male and female,” Blasi said. “It’s basic biology I learned in high school.”
The Department of Revenue said in its letter that once transgender drivers surrender their current credentials, officials will issue new cards “consistent with the statutory requirements,” according to the Star.
The new law is one of several measures Kansas Republicans have enacted in recent years affecting transgender residents, including restrictions on which bathrooms, locker rooms, and single-sex facilities transgender people can use.
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