A Kansas court on Friday upheld a law that blocks residents from changing the gender listed on their birth certificate. The state Department of Health and Environment said it could “no longer process gender identity amendments to birth certificates” after Attorney General Kris Kobach sued to stop state agencies from allowing people who say they are transgender to be able to change the gender on public documents.
“The intent of [the Kansas legislature] was clear when lawmakers passed the Women’s Bill of Rights. KS birth certificates are state records that must reflect scientific fact as recorded by the doctor at the time of birth,” Kobach posted on X.
The legislation and subsequent law follows biological science and has been difficult for many on the left to argue it does not.
Kobach was referring to a state law passed earlier this year that defines men and women on the basis of their “biological reproductive system.” According to the law, “female is “an individual whose biological reproductive system is developed to produce ova” and a mother is ”a parent of the female sex.” The law also stipulates that woman and girl refer to biological females.
The intent of #ksleg was clear when lawmakers passed the Women’s Bill of Rights. KS birth certificates are state records that must reflect scientific fact as recorded by the doctor at the time of birth. https://t.co/1c4rP0U2s8
— Kris W. Kobach (@KrisKobach1787) September 15, 2023
The law says that state entities that collect “vital statistics for the purpose of complying with anti-discrimination laws or for the purpose of gathering accurate public health, crime, economic or other data shall identify each person who is part of the collected data set as either male or female at birth.”
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the bill, saying it “stripped away rights” and would “hurt our ability to continue … landing new business deals.” The Republican-controlled legislature overrode her veto, with the law going into effect July 1. Kelly said in a statement on Friday that she disagreed with the policy but would allow the law to be enforced.
“As I’ve said before, the state should not discriminate or encroach into Kansans’ personal lives,” Kelly said in a statement. “However, I am committed to following the law. Agencies will comply with the courts’ orders and work to implement S.B. 180 as appropriate.”
Kobach and other supporters of the new law have argued that a birth certificate is a factual record of a historical event and therefore shouldn’t change even when a person decides to change their gender “identity.”
–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice
