Yesterday, KU announced that all employees must remove their pronouns from their email signatures. This is a result of Section 161 of SB 125, the budget bill passed by the Kansas legislature this year. Per SB 125, all state employees are prohibited from displaying their pronouns or “gender ideology” in any official work communications.

SB 125 is a harmful bill that actively prohibits trans equality. By banning government employees from sharing their pronouns, the state of Kansas is continuing a dangerous precedent that views being trans as a political threat.

State employees are not banned from referencing any other facet of their identity in communications, including their age, religion, educational background, race or ethnicity, and so on. Even mentions of gender are not banned.

By specifically banning mentions of pronouns, the State of Kansas is singling out practices used to foster safe and inclusive environments for trans people.

Trans Lawrence Coalition unequivocally denounces KU’s compliance with SB 125 as well as the compliance of any other state-funded agency or institution. We must not allow hateful reactionaries to bully trans people into nonexistence through financial threats.

Because of this, we strongly encourage all Kansas state employees – cis people especially – to engage in creative means of dissent. Overturning such a law requires either lengthy court battles or swift and overwhelming push back. In either case, dissent is essential to winning.

Examples of creative dissent include actions like:

• Wearing pronoun pins at work, especially in a work photo
• Explicitly calling attention to SB 125 in your communications (e.g., “under Kansas law, I cannot inform you that I use she/her pronouns” or, “signature redacted to comply with Kansas law banning gender pronouns”)
• Maintaining a work space that is visibly pro-trans (e.g., trans pride flag, pro-trans signage, etc)

Please note that dissent may subject you to punishment or termination.

It is unfair because the law is unfair.

Unfortunately, we have to take risks to overturn unjust laws.

If you are not in a space where you can risk losing your job, we still encourage dissent, albeit more covert. For instance, ask people you work with for their pronouns, advocate for trans clients/students, include pride imagery in your work, and so on.

For reference, below is the text of Section 161 of SB 125. Note that it is only applicable from August 2025 through July 2026:

(a) During fiscal year 2026, on or before August 1, 2025, the secretary of administration, in consultation with the governor’s department, shall certify to the members of the state finance council that all state agencies have:
(1) Eliminated any positions that relate to diversity, equity and inclusion;
(2) eliminated any mandates, policies, programs, preferences and activities relating to diversity, equity and inclusion;
(3) eliminated any training requirements in diversity, equity and inclusion for any employee;
(4) canceled any state grants or contracts relating to diversity, equity and inclusion; and
(5) removed gender identifying pronouns or gender ideology from email signature blocks on state employee’s email accounts and any other form of communication.
(b) The secretary of administration shall present such certification and any additional information to the state finance council at a state finance council meeting.