Judge says Kansas shouldn’t keep changing trans people’s birth certificates due to new state law

By JOHN HANNA
AP Political Writer

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge says Kansas shouldn’t keep changing transgender people’s birth certificates so the documents reflect their gender identities. A U.S. district judge on Thursday approved a request from Republican state Attorney General Kris Kobach to block birth certificate changes because of a new state law rolling back trans rights. Kobach was successful in lifting a policy imposed when Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s administration settled a 2018 lawsuit challenging a previous Republican no-changes policy. More than 900 people have changed their birth certificates since. Kansas is among a few states not allowing transgender people to change their driver’s licenses.