"I have sat here for five and a half hours, and listened to this entire room debate my humanity, and my ability to participate in the most basic functions of society. And from the bottom of my heart, I hope that none of you have to ever sit through something like that."
"As a veteran, am I revered and honored, or am I just disparaged and cast aside as a trans person?"
"Senate Bill 244, a "one-stop shop of hate" in her words, that was shoved through the legislative process by Republicans without hearings. The bill would revoke the official documents of trans people, ban them from using bathrooms in public buildings that match their gender identity, and create a bounty hunter incentive for Kansans to sue transgender people."
Abi Boatman, a new Kansas state representative from Wichita and 10-year Air Force veteran, spoke passionately against Senate Bill 244 during her first month in office. The legislation, which she characterized as a "one-stop shop of hate," would revoke official documents of transgender people, prohibit them from using bathrooms matching their gender identity in public buildings, and establish a bounty system allowing Kansans to sue transgender individuals encountered in restrooms. After sitting through five and a half hours of debate about her humanity and basic societal participation, Boatman questioned whether she would be honored as a veteran or disparaged as a transgender person. Her speech went viral, though the bill ultimately passed despite a gubernatorial veto and took immediate effect.
Read at LGBTQ Nation
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