D.C. Hiegert (’22), current Fellow with the ACLU of Kansas, was quoted in The Emporia Gazette discussing proposed Kansas legislation (Senate Bill 26) that would deny trans youth access to gender-affirming care by revoking medical licenses of physicians providing gender-affirming care to minors and allowing certain civil lawsuits against practitioners (“The Right to Exist: Emporia Man Shares Experience with Gender-Affirming Care amid Anti-Trans Legislation Push,” Apr. 15). “Bills like SB 26, that would effectively ban all gender-affirming healthcare for any trans person under 18 in Kansas, would have catastrophic effects for young trans Kansans and their families. Gender-affirming healthcare is medically necessary, safe, effective, evidence-based care, and is the only medical care shown to improve trans youths’ mental health outcomes.” D.C. cited an increase in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, as the ACLU tracks more than 450 bills across the nation. “Kansans have made it clear that they want a state that is safe and welcoming for all, but legislators in our statehouse have decided they would rather score political points off the backs of an already vulnerable minority population of Kansans than address the issues that truly matter to folks in our state — like expanding access to healthcare, fully funding public education, or addressing the economic struggles facing Kansas families experiencing rising inflation and soaring housing costs.”