Kansas wants to prohibit changes on trans birth certificates, a batman expert in Georgia cancels talk after being asked not to say "gay," and Ohio's mayor condemns Catholic anti-LGBTQ school policies.
Kansas To End Changing Trans Birth Certificates
According to AP News, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment said on Sept. 15 that they will end changing transgender residents’ birth certificates according to their gender identities due to a new state law that took effect July 1.
The law states that male and female must reflect a person’s biological sex. Gov. Laura Kelly, who had a policy to not enforce the law that led Attorney General Kris Kobach to file a lawsuit, responded in a statement on Sept. 15.
“As I’ve said before, the state should not discriminate or encroach into Kansans’ personal lives -– it’s wrong, it’s bad for business,” Kelly said.
Batman Expert Cancels Talk After Asked Not to Say ‘Gay’
Marc Tyler Nobleman. Photo by Robamcnamy, via Wikimedia Commons.
An author who researched Batman’s creation was asked by a suburban Atlanta school district to not tell students about an unknown co-creator who had a gay son, NBC News reported. In response, Marc Tyler Nobleman canceled the rest of his presentations.
After his talk at Sharon Elementary in Forsyth County on Aug. 21 where he mentioned uncredited Batman author Bill Finger’s only child was gay, Nobleman received a note during his second talk from the principal that read, “Please only share the appropriate parts of the story for our elementary students.”
“We’re long past the point where we should be policing people talking about who they love,” Nobleman said. “And that’s what I’m hoping will happen in this community.”
Ohio Mayor Condemns Catholic Anti-LGBT School Policies
OutSFL file photo.
According to The Hill, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb expressed his disapproval of policies put out by the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland that restrict clothing, pronouns, and the ability of students to use the bathroom according to their gender identity for 84 private religious schools under its purview.
“As a Christian, the new Catholic Diocese of Cleveland anti-LGBTQ+ policy is a shocking betrayal of the Church teachings that have shaped who I am today,” Bibb wrote on Instagram.
“For me, faith is about universal love and acceptance. Instead, the new policy forces LGBTQ+ kids to hide their authentic selves and attend school in fear of persecution for who they are,” he continued. “I extend my heartfelt solidarity to our LGBTQ+ friends and students. Rest assured that this policy, along with any expressions of hatred, doesn’t go unnoticed.”
