A bill co-sponsored by multiple Kansas representatives refers to homosexuality as an extension of a religious belief and would introduce a new definition for same-sex marriages.
The bill was sponsored by 62nd district Rep. Randy Garber and co-sponsored by 39th district Rep. Owen Donohue, 51st district Ron Highland of Wamego and a number of others. It defines any marriage between same-sex partners alongside bestiality and objectophilia as “parody marriages” and prohibits the state from “enforcing, endorsing, respecting or favoring” any policies that legally permit or respect such marriages or to appropriate any benefits to anyone in such marriages. It also would prohibit policies that permit counties to issue marriage licenses for same-sex marriages.
The bill also states that homosexuality as well as “transgenderism” and polygamy are “self-asserted, sex-based identity narratives, doctrines, dogmas and mythologies that flow directly out of and are inseparably linked to the religion” of secular humanism. It defines secular humanism as “postmodern western individualistic relativism” and also claims that it is a religion that “does not fulfill any compelling state interest, but instead, tends to erode community standards of decency.”
Additionally it codifies the legality of conversion therapy, prohibits treating sexual orientation in non-discrimination policies as a class under the belief that it is unchangeable, bans public libraries and schools from holding drag queen storytimes as well as prohibits policies that respect gender changes under law.
The bill faces hurdles as Gov. Laura Kelly issued an executive order prohibiting state employers from discriminating against individuals who identify as LGBTQ as one of her first actions in office. And though the Kansas Supreme Court does not allow same-sex marriage, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled it constitutional and that states must issue licenses based on that ruling.
