A transgender solidarity group sent a petition to the University of Kansas demanding better support for its queer community in the face of anti-trans state legislation. A member of the chancellor’s office said they’re willing to talk.
Trans Solidarity KU wants the school to clearly define how it’s handling SB 244, a law that forces people to use the bathroom and have ID cards that align with their sex assigned at birth. The group currently consists of university staff and students.
TSKU sent the petition to KU Chancellor Doug Girod Monday, Sept. 21 and requested a response by 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5.
Julie Murray, vice chancellor of external affairs and chief of staff to Girod, confirmed receipt of the petition and responded in the chancellor’s stead on Monday.
“We are assessing the feasibility and potential legal implications of the demands for KU and its community,” she wrote via email. “As we continue our assessment, we welcome the opportunity to meet to gain better clarity and a mutual understanding of these complex issues.”
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Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, a spokesperson for the school, did not respond to multiple questions about KU policy and protections for queer community members, deferring to Murray’s email.
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Hana Blair and Siobhán Kirchstein, TSKU members, both felt hopeful Monday night after getting the email.
“The office of the chancellor could have just brushed us off and ignored us,” Kirchstein said. “… But they actually responded, and they responded in a way that says that they want to be in a room with us to talk about what it is that we could accomplish together.”
The petition acknowledged that KU did not create and cannot repeal SB 244. Blair, a graduate student doing research at the university, said KU has its hands tied by the law.
“They are working within a state that is constantly making being trans illegal,” she said.
Still, they are hopeful that TSKU and the university can negotiate mutually beneficial terms.
Kirchstein said TSKU will be at Wescoe Beach, 1445 Jayhawk Blvd., from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7 to continue spreading the petition and connect with more of the community.
“I really want to hear from as many local queer organizations or KU queer organizations as possible, so that we can go into negotiations from a communally grounded perspective,” Blair said.
Kirchstein said TSKU has requested a meeting in three weeks to allow time for other vested parties to be in the room.
The petition
TSKU demands included KU publishing a written procedure explaining how it receives and handles SB 244 reports. The group asked for the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX to give informational sessions on the law for the KU community; for KU to increase single-occupancy restrooms within the next two years; and to follow exactly what the law dictates and not a step further.
TSKU also asked the school to reverse its ban on pronouns in email signatures, and to create a staff committee to ensure the university meets demands.
Read the full petition as it was posted online at this link.
The solidarity group formed after Kirchstein, a transgender woman who works as a janitor at KU, was reported to Human Resources for using the women’s bathroom in Parker Hall, one of the buildings that she cleans.
Kirchstein didn’t know anyone else who had been reported for going to the bathroom under SB 244. Many of the demands in the TSKU petition sprang from the stumbling blocks Kirchstein hit as she navigated the maze of a hazy state law and zero university guidance as to its enforcement.
Stacey Snakenberg, senior HR director, ultimately issued a finding that Kirchstein violated SB 244. Snakenberg referenced Kirchstein’s communications with KU and a Lawrence Times article as evidence.
“The Lawrence Times article identifies you as transgender, and you do not appear to deny having used the restroom in violation of SB 244,” Snakenberg’s letter reads.
Kirchstein immediately questioned how KU was or wasn’t investigating her reproductive organs.
Blair said this is where the “letter of the law” petition demand came into play.
“KU doesn’t have to go on the news and be like, ‘This is evidence that you’re trans,’” they said. “… They don’t have to try to ascertain whether or not someone’s trans.”
Snakenberg also said HR had received reports that Kirchstein wanted to know who reported her. The former told Kirchstein that it was against the university’s whistleblower policy for her to retaliate against the reporting party but, again, didn’t name them.
“These reports cause significant concern about your possible intent to retaliate against the reporter(s),” the letter reads. “… Retaliation will not be tolerated and could result in suspension, reassignment, termination, or other disciplinary action.”
Kirchstein said in an August interview that she doesn’t even want to speak to her accuser.
“I just want to know if they’re in my building because I feel like I’m being watched,” she said.
Kirchstein ultimately appealed Snakenberg’s finding, citing concerns with the reporting process. In addition to questioning how the university investigated her sex assigned at birth, she said that KU and her accuser were violating the university’s nondiscrimination policy.
According to that policy, KU prohibits discrimination based on gender expression or gender identity in accordance with multiple federal civil rights acts. Its website defines gender identity as “The gender that a person claims for oneself – which may or may not align with the gender assigned to the person at birth.”
Chari Young, senior vice chancellor and chief human resources officer, denied Kirchstein’s appeal on Sept. 14.
“We worked up a petition that calls for KU to uphold its obligations under its own nondiscrimination statement,” Kirchstein said in August. “… So our petition, which is just the first step in our planned political action, is to bring them into accountability to honor their obligations and promises.”
Blair, who has taught undergraduates at KU, said people see Lawrence as a bastion for the trans community, and students come here for acceptance. SB 244 could catch them off guard.
“There are students who might not be attuned to the news,” they said. “There might be students who come from out of state or internationally, or staff that come from out of state or internationally, and they’re coming into a situation where they could come in contact with the law in a bathroom, and that would be traumatic.”
Blair said that’s where the educational sessions outlined in the petition would come in handy. Overall, she said the demands would be in KU’s best interest to protect students and preserve the learning environment.
“This would be a part of turning that ship around and actually attempting to do something for trans people in good faith to align itself with its own values to be an institution of learning,” she said. “And it’s hard to learn when you’re being policed all the time.”
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Wulfe Wulfemeyer (they/them), reporter and news editor, has worked with The Lawrence Times since May 2025. They can be reached at [email protected].
Read their complete bio here. Read their work for the Times here.
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