A new Kansas law requiring restroom use based on sex assigned at birth is now in effect — and already facing a lawsuit, questions about how it will be enforced and calls for a boycott of the state.
The measure, Senate Bill 244, passed during the 2026 legislative session after Republican supermajorities in the Kansas House and Senate overrode Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto.
Supporters say the law protects privacy in bathrooms and locker rooms. But Democrats warned during debate that it could produce the very situation Republicans said they were trying to prevent — men being required to enter women’s bathrooms.
“He is going to sit down at the stall next to your granddaughter,” said Rep. John Carmichael, a Sedgwick County Democrat.
“That hairy-faced man will be standing naked, showering next to your daughter,” Carmichael continued. “That’s what this bill requires.”
The law requires multi-occupancy bathrooms, locker rooms and similar facilities in government buildings — including schools and universities — to be used according to sex assigned at birth.
That means transgender men, who were born female but present as male, must use women’s restrooms. Transgender women, who were born male, must use men’s facilities.
Questions About Enforcement
Even supporters acknowledge the law leaves questions about how it will be enforced.
Kansas adopted language similar to a law that recently took effect in Texas, where officials are still determining how complaints will be investigated.
Just this week, the Texas law is expected to face its first real test after the parent of a student in Austin’s school district filed a complaint alleging a male student was using the girls’ restroom.
IDs Invalidated Immediately
The law also immediately invalidated driver’s licenses and birth certificates where the gender marker had previously been changed to reflect a person’s gender identity.
State officials estimate more than 1,000 Kansans may be affected.
Lawsuit Filed
The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas has filed a lawsuit in Douglas County District Court challenging the law.
The case, filed on behalf of two transgender Kansans, argues the law violates the Kansas Constitution’s protections for privacy, equality and due process.
“This legislation is a direct attack on the dignity and humanity of transgender Kansans,” said Monica Bennett, legal director of the ACLU of Kansas.
Calls For Boycott
Meanwhile, LGBTQ advocacy groups across the country are urging economic pressure on Kansas.
San Francisco Pride Executive Director Suzanne Ford is calling for a national boycott of the state over the law.
“That’s really the only way people outside of Kansas can register their displeasure,” Ford said.
Advocates say the effort mirrors the backlash against North Carolina’s 2016 “bathroom bill,” which led to canceled concerts, sporting events and conventions.