An anti-trans Kansas law doesn’t prevent birth certificate changes, the governor argues

By JOHN HANNA
AP Political Writer

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Democratic governor in Kansas is defending changes in the sex listings on transgender people’s birth certificates in federal court. In a filing this week, Gov. Laura Kelly’s office argues that the changes don’t violate a new state law rolling back transgender rights. The new Kansas law took effect July 1, and Kelly’s office called it discriminatory. That law defines male and female based on the sex assigned at birth for any other state law or regulation and bars legal recognition of transgender people’s gender identities. The issue is in federal court because the settlement of a 2018 lawsuit against a previous no-changes policy requires birth certificate changes.