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A4 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 23 april 2022
LGBTQ leader is key in blocking Kansas ban on trans athletes

By JOHN HANNA State Sen. David Haley, a
AP Political Writer Kansas City Democrat, vot-
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — As ed no earlier this month but
state lawmakers moved to said “reasonable” constitu-
ban transgender kids from ents see the bill as common
girls’ sports, Kansas’ most sense. He was the decid-
visible LGBTQ-rights lobby- ing vote last year against
ist recently said during an a veto override, giving a
interview in a Statehouse speech weighing both
corridor that conservatives sides before voting no — as
don’t mind if kindergart- Witt sat in the main visitors’
ners “have their genitals in- gallery, visibly on edge.
spected.” “You know, it’s kind of like
The politically needling he’s a Marine Corps drill
comment was bold sergeant when he is com-
enough to make Tom Witt’s mitted to the advocacy for
point, and loud enough for his ideology,” Haley said.
a lobbyist supporter of the “It’s like, ‘Everybody line
ban to hear as she walked up. This is the way it’s going
by. It was also classic Witt: to go.’”
Boisterous. Engaged. And The Kansas measures have
well-targeted. applied to K-12 students,
Witt is a key reason Kansas and a few lawmakers cite
is unlikely to join a growing Tom Witt, the executive director of the LGBTQ-rights group Equality Kansas, speaks at a rally inside that as a problem. Witt said
number of states this year the Statehouse Monday, March 7, 2022 in Topeka, Kan. elementary schools would
with a ban, despite Repub- Associated Press be forced to physically in-
lican supermajorities in its state Democratic Party to self-described progressive Brittany Jones, the conser- spect children as young
Legislature. With lawmak- help push it to the left. lobbyists. vative lobbyist who was as 5 to settle disputes over
ers returning Monday from He’s even let his health Democratic state Rep. walking by Witt’s recent transgender kids compet-
a spring break, supporters slide. In 2017, he ignored Stephanie Byers, the state’s hallway interview, begins ing against other girls.
don’t yet have the two- growing fatigue to success- first elected transgender her recollection of their The bill’s text doesn’t says
thirds majorities to override fully lobby against requir- lawmaker and a retired Statehouse introduction in exactly how disputes would
Democratic Gov. Laura ing transgender students Wichita band director, 2019 with, “I believe he’s be resolved, and Haley
Kelly’s veto of their bill. They to use facilities associated credits Witt with connecting made in the image of God called Witt’s argument “a
didn’t last year, either. with their genders assigned her to national groups and just like I am.” little bit beyond belief.”
Witt, 60, is executive di- at birth — then had a heart making media interviews “As soon as he found State Rep. Barbara Was-
rector of Equality Kansas attack and bypass surgery. easier to navigate during out who I worked for, he inger, a Republican from
and a Democratic con- As for this year’s bill, he said her 2020 campaign. Kari dropped my hand, walked western Kansas, said Witt’s
sultant. During 18 years at unnamed Republicans told Rinker, a friend and Ameri- away and wouldn’t speak argument is diverting atten-
the Statehouse, he’s spot- him they “really hate” it be- can Heart Association lob- to me,” said Jones, policy tion from what she sees as
lighted conservatives’ bills fore voting for it anyway. byist, said he taught her director for the conserva- the real issues, fair competi-
so that unwanted publicity He said he’s bitter that they how to fundraise and work tive group Kansas Family tion and scholarship oppor-
prompts Republican lead- might have considered the with a nonprofit board. Voice. Witt doesn’t dispute tunities for young women.
ers to disavow them or dis- political cost of voting no. But Witt is sometimes pro- that. But Witt sees this year’s pro-
courages GOP-led com- “This is life and death for fane and often pugna- As Witt fights to keep Kan- posals triggering bullying
mittees from even holding some kids,” he said. “This cious, even with friends. sas from following at least and suicides. He pointed
hearings. Others describe is not trivial. This is not poli- As for lawmakers, he said, 15 other states in banning out a scar on his left cheek
him as relentless in pursu- tics.” Witt plans to retire party doesn’t matter: “If transgender athletes from and said it’s from being at-
ing just enough “no” votes from activism, lobbying and they vote against LGBT female school and college tacked and cut with a knife
when it counts, and was consulting by year’s end, rights, I’m going to go after sports, some Kansas law- in a high school bathroom
influential enough in the having mentored younger, them.” makers are conflicted. in the 1970s.q

Workers unionize at flagship Seattle

Starbucks roaster

SEATTLE (AP) — Starbucks ness’s second to unionize in we don’t have a seat at
workers at the coffee gi- its hometown of Seattle. the table, we don’t have
ant’s flagship roastery in “As we have said through- a voice in our workplace,”
Seattle voted Thursday to out, we will respect the said Liz Duran, an opera-
form a union, the chain’s process and will bargain in tions lead at Starbucks.
latest location to form a good faith. We hope that “People have been pushed
collective bargaining unit. the union does the same,” to the edge more and
The Seattle store voted 38- Reggie Borges, a spokes- more and more throughout
27 to unionize. man for Starbucks, said in a recent years, and with the
Workers United said 26 statement. breaking point being over,
Emily Sirisue jumps up to show her support with other Seattle Starbucks locations have Starbucks has multiple flag- the COVID pandemic re-
Starbucks baristas after the vote comes in to unionize the unionized nationwide. The ship stores. The Seattle out- ally just bringing workers to
Starbucks roastery on Capitol Hill, Thursday, April 21, 2022 in
Seattle. Starbucks Reserve and let joined the one in New a point where you realize
Associated Press Roastery in the Capitol Hill York in forming a union. the power that we really do
neighborhood is the busi- “A big part of it is just that have.”q