Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback rescinds protections for LGBT state workers

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback (R) issued an executive order on Tuesday that removed discrimination protections for LGBT state employees.

Brownback said that the 2007 executive order by then-Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) — which said state workers could not be discriminated against for their sexual orientation or gender identity — was not approved by the legislature but rather "through unilateral action." In a statement, he said his executive order, which replaced Sebelius', "ensures that state employees enjoy the same civil rights as all Kansans without creating additional 'protected classes' as the previous order did."

Critics say that now state employees can be fired, denied a job, and harassed for being gay or transgender, the Los Angeles Times reports. Doug Bonney, legal director for the ACLU of Kansas, said this was an unusual move, since most states are giving LGBT residents protections and not taking them away. "This executive order was the only thing in Kansas protecting those people," Bonney told the Times. "I'm sorry to say that this opens it up to discrimination and there's no good reason for that."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up