To the editor:

If we wish to be honest with ourselves, we have to admit that we have known people throughout our lives who have fallen somewhere in the middle of gender expectations. For years we bullied and/or ignored these people, but honest observers recognized their presence.

Your article on April 23 about trans children in Utah and South Dakota broke my heart. The Republican majorities in those states have taken it upon themselves to further complicate these children’s already challenging lives by outlawing the treatment that they need. Why? Because these children are different and don’t conform to what close-minded people want to believe about gender.

There are too many people who want the world to resemble some nostalgic past that never existed. We have the same thing happening here in Kansas. Being different is not a crime, and we impoverish ourselves culturally and intellectually when we refuse to recognize the diversity around us, be it in terms of gender, sexuality, race, religion or another category. We also endanger the lives and futures of those in our midst who don’t conform to our notions of what is “acceptable” and “normal.” May we please start to recognize that we are “created equal”? Only then will this country become what it should be.

Paul R. Laird,

Lawrence