Since 1936 the ACLU has been a force for LGBTQ+ rights, and we are proud to keep that fight alive in Kansas. Even as the nation moves forward toward equality for all people, there are also some who seek to create unnecessary obstacles for people in the LGBTQ+ community. People face discrimination in the work place, housing, and the public sphere based on their sexual orientation gender identity, and there are few laws in place to protect them.
What are we doing about it?
In 2014 the ACLU of Kansas filed the lawsuit Marie v. Mosier challenging Kansas’ ban same-sex marriage, and won! Other states appealed similar rulings all the way to the Supreme Court, where bans on same sex marriage were declared unconstitutional. As a result, same-sex couples across Kansas have been able to legally marry since November 2014.
As some states, Kansas included, seek to enact laws that legalize discrimination, the ACLU of Kansas works to ensure that no legislation is passed denying civil liberties to the LGBTQ+community and has been a strong voice for the rights of transgender Kansans. We have been part of expanding non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people, from standing up to former-Gov. Brownback’s efforts to sanction discrimination in the name of “religious freedom," to blocking the 2021 legislative attack on transgender student athletes, to holding individual school districts accountable for their mistreatment of transgender students.
We will continue to fight against discrimination against Kansans based on gender identity and sexual orientation, whether that's in the legislature, the courts, or in the community.
If you have faced discrimination based on your status as an LGBTQ+ Kansan, please file a legal complaint.
Visit our LGBTQ+ Resource Hub for more.
