The Republican Party in Kansas have accepted a resolution which means that they will oppose all pro-transgender legislation.
The resolution, which was overwhelmingly accepted by the party’s state committee, made the declaration on Saturday. The resolution claims that “some Kansas public schools are encouraging parents and teachers to affirm the feelings of children experiencing gender dysphoria” before adding that “these cultural currents run counter to God’s created order and violate the dignity of every human being.”
The resolution goes on to say: “God’s design was the creation of two distinct and complementary sexes, male and female.
“Many have sought to normalise transgenderism and define gender according to one’s self-perception apart from biological anatomy… [but] there is no scientific consensus regarding the ethics or effectiveness of attempts to align one’s biology with one’s self-perception through experimental and exploratory medicine.
“The Kansas Republican Party affirms God’s design for gender as determined by biological sex and not by self-perception; that we oppose efforts to surgically or hormonally alter one’s bodily identity to conform with one’s perceived gender identity.
“We oppose all efforts to validate transgender identity, we recognize the fundamental right of parents to guide their child’s education, that public schools should not undermine the values of parents who do not agree with transgenderism, and that students have a reasonable expectation of privacy and safety at school.”
Related: Republicans in Iowa have introduced an anti-trans bathroom bill
The person who submitted the resolution was Eric Teetsel, who is the head of the anti-LGBTQ Family Policy Alliance of Kansas. He is also the son-in-law of Sam Brownback, Donald Trump’s international ambassador for “religious freedom.” In 2016, Brownback tried pushing a hateful piece of legislation that would have made it nearly impossible for trans people to change their gender identity on their birth certificates.
Equality Kansas slammed the new resolution, saying: “The Kansas Republican Party has adopted a hateful anti-science, anti-trans policy that demeans and dehumanizes transgender Kansans, particularly transgender children.
“The author of the resolution, Sam Brownback’s son-in-law Eric Teetsel, claimed it was a matter of ‘dignity’. No.
“Denying science and attacking schoolchildren in the name of religion is not a recognition of ‘dignity.’
“This is a cheap election year attack by Sam Brownback’s son-in-law, and yet another attempt to dehumanize those who do not fit inside the narrow world view of Brownback, his family, and his wing of the Republican party.
“Equality Kansas is incredibly disappointed that Kansas Republicans, on a day they should be focused on protecting children, promote such an undignified and crass assault.”
The resolution wasn’t met with a great reception even within the Republican Party, with Drake Robinson, the vice chair of the Wichita State College Republicans, saying that the resolution surprised him.
“I believe that the leaders of the Kansas Republican Party need to focus on issues that are of pressing concern to the people of Kansas, such as the state budget, school funding, and other state programs.
“I encourage the leaders of the Kansas Republican Party to turn their attention towards the needs of Kansans and conservative principles that unite us, as opposed to resolutions on secondary issues that do not benefit anyone.”
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