TOPEKA, Kan. — A Kansas judge ruled Monday that the state isn’t violating transgender residents’ rights under the state constitution by refusing to change their driver’s licenses to reflect their gender identities. District Judge Teresa Watson kept in place indefinitely an order she first issued in July 2023 to prevent the Kansas Department of Revenue from changing the listing for “sex” on transgender people’s driver’s licenses.
The Republican-controlled Legislature overrode her veto to enact the 2023 law, and transgender people can no longer change either identity document, thanks to Kobach’s efforts. It’s not clear whether Kelly’s administration or transgender Kansas residents will appeal Watson’s ruling. D.C. Hiegert, an ACLU of Kansas LGBGQ legal fellow who is trans, predicted that Watson’s ruling will lead to transgender people being harassed and denied services.