Kansas lawmaker pursues bill on transgender youth in sports

(AP) A conservative legislator in Kansas is pursuing a proposal to prevent transgender high school and middle school students from playing on sports teams aligned with their gender identities. LGBTQ rights advocates are trying to kill it even before he can formally introduce it. The LGBTQ rights group Equality Kansas had a Statehouse news conference Thursday to denounce the proposal from Republican Rep. Michael Capps, of Wichita. Capps told reporters that his goal is “athletic protection for girls.” But Kansas City-area Democratic Rep. Brandon Woodard called the bill “repugnant” and said, “Bills like this are why young LGBTQ kids die by suicide.”