Kansas Town Passes Special Rights for ‘Gender-Identity’

CitizenLink:  On Tuesday, the Lawrence, Kans., City Commission voted 4-1 to add gender identity and expression to its existing Human Relations ordinance.

Though the ordinance purportedly provides “nondiscrimination protections” for transgender people in employment, housing and public accommodations, conservatives say it actually opens the door to much more than that. For instance, a man who self-identifies as a woman is now able to sue any business owner who tries to stop him from using a public restroom or locker room designated for women.

“In their demands for special rights, they’re taking away our rights,” said Judy Smith of Concerned Women for America of Kansas. “People who consider themselves transgendered already have rights. They are not discriminated against.”

The ordinance takes effect immediately.

When a similar ordinance was proposed in Manhattan, Kan., last year, churches and conservative groups combined forces to oppose it and formed the group  Awaken Manhattan. The city briefly adopted the ordinance in February 2011, but repealed it in May. Chicago and Kansas City, Mo., also have gender-identity/expression ordinances in place.