Put yourself in an LGBT person’s shoes: How would laws targeting us make you feel? | Opinion

I need to share my words regarding how exhausted I am at legislation in Kansas and Missouri targeting the basic rights of people who happen to be transgender, nonbinary or elsewhere on the spectrum of gender identity or sexual orientation. I submitted a letter about these laws in the Kansas Legislature, as a piece of opposition testimony on two bills to be heard this week that would restrict access to gender-affirming health care.

You might recognize me from around the Kansas statehouse, or from other political events in the Kansas City metropolitan area. I have tried to stay as active and civically engaged as possible in Kansas, because I’m someone who doesn’t feel as though my state government is treating people like me fairly.

I hope that this comes as a shock to any lawmaker reading this. However, I’m unsure that it will. I urge any lawmaker in Kansas or Missouri who reads this who is also surprised that there are people like myself who live in our great states who feel disenfranchised by our government to reach out to me and start an open and honest dialogue.

I don’t believe the majority of lawmakers in the Kansas Legislature are acting with the welfare of every Kansas resident in mind. Rather, they’re sitting in their positions for their own political gain. I hope that it occurs to many of you that Kansans do not want to devote their attention to thinking about steps lawmakers are taking, let alone spend their time writing opposition testimony. I know many Kansans and Missourians want to spend their free time focusing on passions, hobbies and doing things that make life worth living, completely apart from politics.

Life, however, cannot be worth living if we must worry time and again about actions taken by those who write the rules. In a perfect world, a government of the people, by the people and for the people would not intervene in people’s lives when they are attempting to receive lifesaving health care related to gender affirmation, reproductive freedom or any other practice deemed acceptable and necessary by scientists and experts in their field.

I urge every one of you to step outside of your bubble and attempt to imagine living one day in the life of an LGBTQ+ person. In recent sessions, the Kansas Legislature and Missouri General Assembly have introduced and debated bills that would intentionally single out and harm this community. As someone who identifies as trans/nonbinary, it’s clear to me that despite their claims to understand health care and have concerns surrounding gender-affirming care, many lawmakers do not have a clue what it means to be different from themselves.

Where, then, are these policies born from? The answer is fear. Fear of a changing world, fear of losing power and, most important, fear of the happiness of others. For that, I’m truly sorry — sorry for anyone in our world who lacks that joyful experience. Seeing those around me thrive is one of the most wonderful things that I could ever experience.

I won’t give any more reason than this for every lawmaker to vote no on these harmful bills: Have a heart, and think of your fellow Kansans and Missourians whose mental health will be detrimentally affected if these bills become law. If you can’t, then I hope you will remember that yours is an elected position, and there are those who would like to see you out of that job, even if you have enjoyed its comfort for a great deal of time.

As for me, I’ll support anyone who decides to be a proud ally of the LGBTQ+ community — not only in what they say, but also in the actions they take. It should be difficult to live a comfortable life if you’re consistently making decisions that harm other people.

Jae Moyer is an LGBTQ+ political activist from Overland Park.