Peaceful civil disobedience is certainly worth a shot. So much of what is happening right now with the whole "trans scare" is reminiscent of paranoia that existed in the 50's and 60's concerning communists and African-Americans, only now propaganda is being streamlined with technology and substantial monetary backing. Kudos to anyone brave enough to put themselves on the line for the greater good. I hope things change before too many lives have to be ruined.
I stand in strong support of Boucher’s civil disobedience against Kansas’ discriminatory bathroom bill.
When laws are written to target and erase people simply for existing, refusing to comply becomes an act of conscience, dignity, and moral courage.
Civil disobedience has always been a catalyst for justice — from the civil rights movement to the fight for LGBTQ+ equality — and history consistently shows that unjust laws are not overturned by silence, but by people willing to stand up and say “enough.”
This bill does not protect anyone; it legitimizes harassment, exclusion, and fear.
Boucher’s actions remind us that equality is not granted by lawmakers — it is demanded by communities refusing to accept discrimination as policy.
Standing up peacefully against injustice is not lawlessness; it is democracy in action.
We must support those who put themselves on the line to defend human dignity and make clear that Kansas, and this country, must move forward toward inclusion, not backward into exclusion.
I will also support any fund that supports her legal representation
The governor can pardon her - and any other trans person caught up in this shit.
As for Boucher, she's got some sort of courage that I couldn't even begin to summon. She is one of our Rosa Parks figures. We have several, and they are all amazing.
Since the pardon powers for governor are granted by Kansas State Constitution, not even this Satanic Republican legislature can take those powers away with legislation and veto override. Endless convictions endless pardons then maybe they will move onto something worthwhile.
Thank you for reporting on this - please let us know if there is anything we can do to help her in the future, if she needs donations for a legal fund. A brave lady, for sure.
These laws are really not getting enough attention. It’s as if, even among left leaning independent journalists, many just want the issue (us) to go away. The audacity for us to simply want to exist in peace. If the Democratic Party doesn’t come out firmly against this sort of thing, they’ve lost even if they win. We do not have second class citizenship in the United States.
Trans Kansan here. While I appreciate our state being highlighted as we fight this, we are experiencing a severe lack of people actually listening to us and what we need.
Outside activists have created their own campaigns "for us" instead of asking what we need or directing funds to well-established, Kansas-based Trans orgs. Unfortunately, this is a saviorism reality that organizers in red states are all to familiar with.
Alternative perspective from on the ground: Boucher is a trans Colorado resident. Trans Liberty is a PAC composed of primarily Cis people. The PAC has existed for less than a year. All were asked by established trans Kansas organizers and groups (who have organized our own very successful protests in the past including February and March of this year) to not pull this stunt at this time for a number of reasons.
Boucher not only ignored this and traveled in anyway, but also shamed at least one Kansas organizer for not joining her.
This is unacceptable and harmful to all trans Kansans who can't simply go back to Colorado after this is all over.
As the organizing adage goes: People closest to the problem are closest to the solution.
To be honest, we need less people to come in for photo ops to draw money to their own new initiatives instead of local ones that have been doing the work through years and decades of persecution here.
We don't need people outside of Kansas to intentionally try to trigger the first arrests of this bill that we have evaded thus far. We need allies from other states to ask, listen, and respect.
When y'all see future articles about trans rights in Kansas, please evaluate it based on if our voices are actually highlighted.
Hopefully no more harm will come to us based on ill-timed actions from people unaware of local strategies. Time will tell.
I was very happy when I read Erin's article, inspired by the courage. In reading your comment, feel unsure of what's happening. I'm taking what you are saying seriously.
"All were asked by established trans Kansas organizers and groups (who have organized our own very successful protests in the past including February and March of this year) to not pull this stunt at this time for a number of reasons."
Can you share what the reasons are? I'm trying to understand this better, but I understand if there are reasons you don't want to post the details publicly.
Thanks for what you are doing advocating for all trans people.
Sorry for the late response, I had a hospital visit. The adventures of chronic illness are boundless.
I can give you a couple bullet points without breaking down all of our strategizing (a much longer, more private conversation).
One is that right now no trans Kamsans have been arrested on this. Every day without our trans comrades in jail saves lives. Trying to force arrests at this time (as with the action) could jeopardize that.
I published a recent account of it, but when the bill was advancing we staged a "pee-in" action at the Capitol. We did it in large numbers to bring awareness to the bill. National headlines chose not to pick it up at that time because it has not passed, but some of our local news did and we were able to pull together some fast campaigns, safety plans, and mutual aid.
Another reason is that national news is very finicky about what they cover from Kansas. There's something of a limited capital that we have, and now some of it has been spent on this action. It did bring awareness (and thank goodness no arrests yet), but next time when local organizers need something in national headlines at a specific time for a specific campaign, national news is less likely to pick it up when "it's been done before."
A third reason is that legislative session was out. Not only were our elected not there to witness what their bill looks like, but the bill was done for the time being. There was no specific action being pushed for besides "I dare you to arrest me."
The most successful actions come with a call to action. It is a way to use emotional and disruption capital to achieve a goal. Otherwise, it just serves as another headline that people scroll by and gradually are desensetized to the next time it comes around. An example of direct actions needing a specific demand or call to action could look like our legal case.
For example, there is currently a lawsuit where some of our folks are represented by the ACLU. We will likely need to do an action to bring awareness to that specific case next hearing because it has been postponed by a judge until /September/. By September, of course, most of the nation will have forgotten about us. We won't be able to do what Boucher did and expect national headlines though, because the sensationalism is done. The news got their algorithm clicks already. This circles back to my second point.
I know Boucher asserts that part of the point of this was to raise funds, but we were already raising funds by other means. All the state-local orgs I've talked to haven't seen any money come in because of this action as of now, either.
That was long, but thank you for trying to stay informed. Solidarity.
There is a good reason why that is the usual take on this by transgender people and allies.
"to not pull this stunt at this time for a number of reasons."
None of which reasons you have shared.
"Hopefully no more harm will come to us based on ill-timed actions from people unaware of local strategies."
You have not made the case that her forbearing from this civil disobedience advantages anyone -- only that the existence of her organization you feel is poaching on dollars you feel the someone more local is entitled to administer.
I see no evidence any local strategy has had any good effect at all, and there is a nationwide interest is blunting the momentum of the Social Conservatives as soon and as energetically as possible.
"This is unacceptable and harmful to all trans Kansans who can't simply go back to Colorado after this is all over."
I have news for you, were her to be arrested, she likely would not be going back to Colorado -- either not soon or not at all.
To be clear, are you saying that trans opinions and people outside of Kansas have more knowledge on what works best in Kansas (and how best to get mutual aid out quickly and effectively) than the trans community who organizes and lives here?
I have read your reply multiple times and the only interpretations I can see are that, knowing personally some of the people whose actions I critiqued, or simply being obtuse and playing devil's advocate.
Oh, re: arrest and getting back to Colorado. It definitely was not risk free. As trans people we know that any arrest poses severe risk. But we do have some good local teams which are generally able to get activists out quickly through negotiating bail or mounting phone call/pressure campaigns. My statement was based on general success at getting people out upon direct action arrests.
I'm from Tennessee originally, so I totally get where you're coming from about national organizations swooping in and thinking they know the lay of the land - or better than local communities. But I want to set the record straight on a few things that are false in your comment.
I live in Colorado because I had to dig bullets out of the side wall of my family's home and patch every tire in the parking lot in Tennessee one too many times for it to be safe to stay. Regardless of which state I'm from, though, I am not (and Trans Liberty is not) some coastal organization without a clue - we are rooted in the heartland, mountain west, Appalachia and the deep south, and our organizing is informed and driven by precisely that perspective.
The reality is, there *was* no trans rights centric PAC prior to 2025 - at all. I used to work with Brand New Congress and was the first out trans federal campaign manager and have been working in a combination of political organizing + emergency management professionally for over a decade. And I've been an activist fighting for queer liberation since before anyone had ever heard the name 'Obergefell'.
You mentioned that Trans Liberty is a 'majority cis organization' - that's simply not true, despite the rumor that's been circulating. Our entire board are trans people, 2/3rds of our leadership team are trans, and even the majority of our Operation Lifeboat staff and volunteers are trans. We don't publish the faces/names on our websites of every trans member of our team, especially not those in Kansas (and other rural states, since our organization is primarily based in the heartland, rural south, Appalachia and the mountain west), for obvious reasons. The cis allies are a bit less concerned about that. This is where I think that confusion and its associated rumor mill may be coming from.
When the license invalidation happened, my first move was to reach out to my former disaster response colleagues from Team Rubicon. And a dozen of them immediately stepped up - for free - to volunteer as a professional incident management team (IMT). Those folks have combined decades of experience are currently helping to staff Operation Lifeboat using the Incident Command System, the internationally recognized standard for managing disaster missions & refugee crises, and are actively training members of the trans community up to a professional standard (including in a way that will allow us to eventually issue them NIMS certifications, which also will be interchangeable + usable by those folks outside of this mission). The reason *that* group are majority-cis, whose primary goal is to work themselves out of a (volunteer) job eventually, is because there are even fewer trans emergency managers than there are trans campaign managers, and that's something we need to remedy because Kansas will unfortunately not be the last state that requires this type of emergency response.
One of the hallmarks of ICS is transparency. You can see our weekly situation reports on translifeboat.org which includes everything we've done in pretty sharp detail, including the numbers, and when our PAC records are released (quarterly, to the public, for all to see) you will also be able to take a look at the financials, too. (We also have a 501c4 which is how we are facilitating things like cash assistance & direct payments without publishing peoples' names like PAC disbursements would require. 501c4 financial records are released yearly - but so far all of our funds have been raised via the PAC, so you can see everything at a minimum quarterly/biyearly depending on the year).
We have, thus far, been able to put thousands of dollars into help for both those relocating and those who aren't ready to leave (or can't/won't), including everything from actual moves, to cash assistance, to direct payments to keep people from being evicted, keep their utilities on, and keep food on the table for their families.
In regards to the TDOV/capitol action specifically, my intention was (and remains) to bring as much attention to the situation in Kansas as possible, because it is unprecedented - and there are at least ~2000 people who have been rendered essentially stateless by their own government and placed at extreme risk of harm. One thing that is common knowledge for those who've worked with disasters (or experienced them), manmade or natural, is that when the national press attention dries up on an issue, so too does the support - and in political situations like this, so too does the pressure. By taking this action - putting my own body on the line and safety at risk - I was able to reignite national attention that was dwindling on Kansas specifically. And I would do it a hundred more times before I put someone who must continue to live in Kansas in that position, because I have the privilege of having the support needed to make it (at least a little) safer, and a team that's prepared to help me handle the consequences (whether I end up in jail for a stint, or whatever they might be).
Regarding working with local organizations, we have trans liaison officers, including within Kansas, who have been in contact with almost every major LGBTQ+ organization in the state. I won't publicly 'spill the tea', but the situation you're describing about being asked to not do this in advance is simply not true, and the conflict you mentioned came less than a day before TDOV. If you'd like to speak with me directly about that, feel free to send me a message - I'm happy to discuss it privately and give you more details, as I'm firmly opposed to publicly disparaging anyone.
We're not going anywhere - Kansas will remain our priority, even as other states begin to enact other extreme legislation, because those 2000 people can't mitigate their own risk and need that help. We're in this for the long haul.
I wish this was the kind of attempt at transparency we had received last month, because every major trans organizers in the state whom I talked to has had trouble finding credible receipts for your organization since it launched it's "operation lifeboat."
I myself did many searches and could not locate receipts nor confirmation that there were trans people involved besides you. I understand protection, but that is very extreme. Since you don't live in Kansas you may not be aware, but over the last 4 years there was a trans organization that ran similarly to yours. It caused immeasurable harm. It took us those 4 years to slowly, methodically gather enough evidence to build a case and stop someone who, through claiming to need to hide names for protection, stole thousand of dollars intented for trans Kansans to pad their own pockets. This is one of many reasons that trust is earned for us.
The names that have been easiest to find for who is involved besides you were cis people, so you can probably understand how that is the information you are going off of.
You did bring headlines. Awareness is important, but so too is timing and safety. I firmly believe you had the best intentions, but the reality is that you could have started the first arrests which would have rippled into our community where we felt the brunt the most. You also chose to stage the event legislative session was out (which, honestly, is why I think we've been so fortunate to avoid arrests since your action).
You have also now used up the attention of national headlines. The discussions of Kansas are drying up again. When we are ready to stage another action, will the national presses listen when we need them? Or will they say, "oh that's been done before. We're not boosting this."
Organizers and activists hear were reasonably skeptical about a new PAC appearing, but to be transparent with you, they were cautiously optimistic. People thought maybe you just hadn't run a nonprofit before and that we could work together. After the events leading up to the action, people are no longer optimistic. They are worried and unsure what you will do next. I hope that you will use your good intentions to rebuild connections and build trust because, as you said, your experience lends itself to understanding that people closest to the problem have the lay of the land. The Midwest has many different communities with different strategies that work in the respective areas. In the same way I would not go to Nebraska to take action on their anti-trans legislation without talking to resident organizers and asking specifically what actions they are leading that I might be able to help with, I hope that you and whoever you say is with you will do the same. Trans solidarity and effective organizing are dependent on it.
This is slightly off-topic, and please forgive me (and ignore it!) if the question is unwelcome, but I noticed the term "trans panic" here, which I've heard a lot. It feels like this is buying into a bogus frame. In fact this is not a trans panic. It's trans persecution. It's a bunch of people who want to ruin the government using trans people as a wedge issue to get attention and get elected. The only people panicking here (maybe) are the victims and those who love them.
I know in a sense this is a useless quibble, but it feels like the people calling this a panic are not the perpetrators, and so maybe we should use language that serves us better. This is just the usual "persecute a minority group" playbook that we've seen play out over and over again. Can we call it that? Like, "the current wave of trans scapegoating" or something?
Brava, Ms. Boucher. As always, a woman stands up in truth against corrupt power, as Justice Jackson Brown did yesterday as the lone dissent in the conversion therapy case. Thanks for the reporting as well.
Thank you Samantha Boucher!! It has to start with one incredibly brave soul willing to risk physical and emotional harm. Perhaps more will follow and the lunacy of such bigotted laws will be brought to light for the average person. I'm sorry that Ms. Boucher has to endure this, but I'm eternally grateful to her for taking that first step.
Thank you Samantha Boucher. I am wondering if a mass protest would also be effective here in Texas. Not as extreme a bathroom ban as Kansas, but still need to be ruled unconstitutional
And the fucking ABSURDITY of expecting her to use the men's room is clearly expressed in those photographs.
Civil Disobedience! "Why are you not here"? Henry David Thoreau to Ralph Waldo Emerson, on being asked why he was in jail.
Peaceful civil disobedience is certainly worth a shot. So much of what is happening right now with the whole "trans scare" is reminiscent of paranoia that existed in the 50's and 60's concerning communists and African-Americans, only now propaganda is being streamlined with technology and substantial monetary backing. Kudos to anyone brave enough to put themselves on the line for the greater good. I hope things change before too many lives have to be ruined.
I stand in strong support of Boucher’s civil disobedience against Kansas’ discriminatory bathroom bill.
When laws are written to target and erase people simply for existing, refusing to comply becomes an act of conscience, dignity, and moral courage.
Civil disobedience has always been a catalyst for justice — from the civil rights movement to the fight for LGBTQ+ equality — and history consistently shows that unjust laws are not overturned by silence, but by people willing to stand up and say “enough.”
This bill does not protect anyone; it legitimizes harassment, exclusion, and fear.
Boucher’s actions remind us that equality is not granted by lawmakers — it is demanded by communities refusing to accept discrimination as policy.
Standing up peacefully against injustice is not lawlessness; it is democracy in action.
We must support those who put themselves on the line to defend human dignity and make clear that Kansas, and this country, must move forward toward inclusion, not backward into exclusion.
I will also support any fund that supports her legal representation
The governor can pardon her - and any other trans person caught up in this shit.
As for Boucher, she's got some sort of courage that I couldn't even begin to summon. She is one of our Rosa Parks figures. We have several, and they are all amazing.
Since the pardon powers for governor are granted by Kansas State Constitution, not even this Satanic Republican legislature can take those powers away with legislation and veto override. Endless convictions endless pardons then maybe they will move onto something worthwhile.
I would hope so! Of course pardons take time, so there may still be arrest and a short jail time - in the wrong jail. (Still horrible!)
Thank you for reporting on this - please let us know if there is anything we can do to help her in the future, if she needs donations for a legal fund. A brave lady, for sure.
These laws are really not getting enough attention. It’s as if, even among left leaning independent journalists, many just want the issue (us) to go away. The audacity for us to simply want to exist in peace. If the Democratic Party doesn’t come out firmly against this sort of thing, they’ve lost even if they win. We do not have second class citizenship in the United States.
Please let us know if she needs monetary or any other support!
All honor to her. What courage. What commitment. Hopefully the governor and other politicians will follow her example!
Trans Kansan here. While I appreciate our state being highlighted as we fight this, we are experiencing a severe lack of people actually listening to us and what we need.
Outside activists have created their own campaigns "for us" instead of asking what we need or directing funds to well-established, Kansas-based Trans orgs. Unfortunately, this is a saviorism reality that organizers in red states are all to familiar with.
Alternative perspective from on the ground: Boucher is a trans Colorado resident. Trans Liberty is a PAC composed of primarily Cis people. The PAC has existed for less than a year. All were asked by established trans Kansas organizers and groups (who have organized our own very successful protests in the past including February and March of this year) to not pull this stunt at this time for a number of reasons.
Boucher not only ignored this and traveled in anyway, but also shamed at least one Kansas organizer for not joining her.
This is unacceptable and harmful to all trans Kansans who can't simply go back to Colorado after this is all over.
As the organizing adage goes: People closest to the problem are closest to the solution.
To be honest, we need less people to come in for photo ops to draw money to their own new initiatives instead of local ones that have been doing the work through years and decades of persecution here.
We don't need people outside of Kansas to intentionally try to trigger the first arrests of this bill that we have evaded thus far. We need allies from other states to ask, listen, and respect.
When y'all see future articles about trans rights in Kansas, please evaluate it based on if our voices are actually highlighted.
Hopefully no more harm will come to us based on ill-timed actions from people unaware of local strategies. Time will tell.
I was very happy when I read Erin's article, inspired by the courage. In reading your comment, feel unsure of what's happening. I'm taking what you are saying seriously.
"All were asked by established trans Kansas organizers and groups (who have organized our own very successful protests in the past including February and March of this year) to not pull this stunt at this time for a number of reasons."
Can you share what the reasons are? I'm trying to understand this better, but I understand if there are reasons you don't want to post the details publicly.
Thanks for what you are doing advocating for all trans people.
Sorry for the late response, I had a hospital visit. The adventures of chronic illness are boundless.
I can give you a couple bullet points without breaking down all of our strategizing (a much longer, more private conversation).
One is that right now no trans Kamsans have been arrested on this. Every day without our trans comrades in jail saves lives. Trying to force arrests at this time (as with the action) could jeopardize that.
I published a recent account of it, but when the bill was advancing we staged a "pee-in" action at the Capitol. We did it in large numbers to bring awareness to the bill. National headlines chose not to pick it up at that time because it has not passed, but some of our local news did and we were able to pull together some fast campaigns, safety plans, and mutual aid.
Another reason is that national news is very finicky about what they cover from Kansas. There's something of a limited capital that we have, and now some of it has been spent on this action. It did bring awareness (and thank goodness no arrests yet), but next time when local organizers need something in national headlines at a specific time for a specific campaign, national news is less likely to pick it up when "it's been done before."
A third reason is that legislative session was out. Not only were our elected not there to witness what their bill looks like, but the bill was done for the time being. There was no specific action being pushed for besides "I dare you to arrest me."
The most successful actions come with a call to action. It is a way to use emotional and disruption capital to achieve a goal. Otherwise, it just serves as another headline that people scroll by and gradually are desensetized to the next time it comes around. An example of direct actions needing a specific demand or call to action could look like our legal case.
For example, there is currently a lawsuit where some of our folks are represented by the ACLU. We will likely need to do an action to bring awareness to that specific case next hearing because it has been postponed by a judge until /September/. By September, of course, most of the nation will have forgotten about us. We won't be able to do what Boucher did and expect national headlines though, because the sensationalism is done. The news got their algorithm clicks already. This circles back to my second point.
I know Boucher asserts that part of the point of this was to raise funds, but we were already raising funds by other means. All the state-local orgs I've talked to haven't seen any money come in because of this action as of now, either.
That was long, but thank you for trying to stay informed. Solidarity.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1017282051983231/?multi_permalinks=2783809711997114&hoisted_section_header_type=recently_seen&__cft__[0]=AZbXami8TRrhBdrjkyS2_FI34mUgOd8wpnngz2qtrpQFaNbMpicZhe8IuGgdnk47uVlXokkp2ibBMVn2Gal1AeomyczLDs2UtEt8jflStRD5xMZM_Fo-LwKFstF2C6t3FQ7hGqarWpwTz99n1LOpW1kKncEy_5AT3Zrcgwdn-xFeuPBpfWQvEbx_Npk89JhM-n8ah2cod2EFEiRnV_J4PmNF&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R
There is a good reason why that is the usual take on this by transgender people and allies.
"to not pull this stunt at this time for a number of reasons."
None of which reasons you have shared.
"Hopefully no more harm will come to us based on ill-timed actions from people unaware of local strategies."
You have not made the case that her forbearing from this civil disobedience advantages anyone -- only that the existence of her organization you feel is poaching on dollars you feel the someone more local is entitled to administer.
I see no evidence any local strategy has had any good effect at all, and there is a nationwide interest is blunting the momentum of the Social Conservatives as soon and as energetically as possible.
"This is unacceptable and harmful to all trans Kansans who can't simply go back to Colorado after this is all over."
I have news for you, were her to be arrested, she likely would not be going back to Colorado -- either not soon or not at all.
To be clear, are you saying that trans opinions and people outside of Kansas have more knowledge on what works best in Kansas (and how best to get mutual aid out quickly and effectively) than the trans community who organizes and lives here?
I have read your reply multiple times and the only interpretations I can see are that, knowing personally some of the people whose actions I critiqued, or simply being obtuse and playing devil's advocate.
Oh, re: arrest and getting back to Colorado. It definitely was not risk free. As trans people we know that any arrest poses severe risk. But we do have some good local teams which are generally able to get activists out quickly through negotiating bail or mounting phone call/pressure campaigns. My statement was based on general success at getting people out upon direct action arrests.
Hi Amy!
I'm from Tennessee originally, so I totally get where you're coming from about national organizations swooping in and thinking they know the lay of the land - or better than local communities. But I want to set the record straight on a few things that are false in your comment.
I live in Colorado because I had to dig bullets out of the side wall of my family's home and patch every tire in the parking lot in Tennessee one too many times for it to be safe to stay. Regardless of which state I'm from, though, I am not (and Trans Liberty is not) some coastal organization without a clue - we are rooted in the heartland, mountain west, Appalachia and the deep south, and our organizing is informed and driven by precisely that perspective.
The reality is, there *was* no trans rights centric PAC prior to 2025 - at all. I used to work with Brand New Congress and was the first out trans federal campaign manager and have been working in a combination of political organizing + emergency management professionally for over a decade. And I've been an activist fighting for queer liberation since before anyone had ever heard the name 'Obergefell'.
You mentioned that Trans Liberty is a 'majority cis organization' - that's simply not true, despite the rumor that's been circulating. Our entire board are trans people, 2/3rds of our leadership team are trans, and even the majority of our Operation Lifeboat staff and volunteers are trans. We don't publish the faces/names on our websites of every trans member of our team, especially not those in Kansas (and other rural states, since our organization is primarily based in the heartland, rural south, Appalachia and the mountain west), for obvious reasons. The cis allies are a bit less concerned about that. This is where I think that confusion and its associated rumor mill may be coming from.
When the license invalidation happened, my first move was to reach out to my former disaster response colleagues from Team Rubicon. And a dozen of them immediately stepped up - for free - to volunteer as a professional incident management team (IMT). Those folks have combined decades of experience are currently helping to staff Operation Lifeboat using the Incident Command System, the internationally recognized standard for managing disaster missions & refugee crises, and are actively training members of the trans community up to a professional standard (including in a way that will allow us to eventually issue them NIMS certifications, which also will be interchangeable + usable by those folks outside of this mission). The reason *that* group are majority-cis, whose primary goal is to work themselves out of a (volunteer) job eventually, is because there are even fewer trans emergency managers than there are trans campaign managers, and that's something we need to remedy because Kansas will unfortunately not be the last state that requires this type of emergency response.
One of the hallmarks of ICS is transparency. You can see our weekly situation reports on translifeboat.org which includes everything we've done in pretty sharp detail, including the numbers, and when our PAC records are released (quarterly, to the public, for all to see) you will also be able to take a look at the financials, too. (We also have a 501c4 which is how we are facilitating things like cash assistance & direct payments without publishing peoples' names like PAC disbursements would require. 501c4 financial records are released yearly - but so far all of our funds have been raised via the PAC, so you can see everything at a minimum quarterly/biyearly depending on the year).
We have, thus far, been able to put thousands of dollars into help for both those relocating and those who aren't ready to leave (or can't/won't), including everything from actual moves, to cash assistance, to direct payments to keep people from being evicted, keep their utilities on, and keep food on the table for their families.
In regards to the TDOV/capitol action specifically, my intention was (and remains) to bring as much attention to the situation in Kansas as possible, because it is unprecedented - and there are at least ~2000 people who have been rendered essentially stateless by their own government and placed at extreme risk of harm. One thing that is common knowledge for those who've worked with disasters (or experienced them), manmade or natural, is that when the national press attention dries up on an issue, so too does the support - and in political situations like this, so too does the pressure. By taking this action - putting my own body on the line and safety at risk - I was able to reignite national attention that was dwindling on Kansas specifically. And I would do it a hundred more times before I put someone who must continue to live in Kansas in that position, because I have the privilege of having the support needed to make it (at least a little) safer, and a team that's prepared to help me handle the consequences (whether I end up in jail for a stint, or whatever they might be).
Regarding working with local organizations, we have trans liaison officers, including within Kansas, who have been in contact with almost every major LGBTQ+ organization in the state. I won't publicly 'spill the tea', but the situation you're describing about being asked to not do this in advance is simply not true, and the conflict you mentioned came less than a day before TDOV. If you'd like to speak with me directly about that, feel free to send me a message - I'm happy to discuss it privately and give you more details, as I'm firmly opposed to publicly disparaging anyone.
We're not going anywhere - Kansas will remain our priority, even as other states begin to enact other extreme legislation, because those 2000 people can't mitigate their own risk and need that help. We're in this for the long haul.
In solidarity,
Samantha Boucher
Founder, Trans Liberty
Samantha,
I wish this was the kind of attempt at transparency we had received last month, because every major trans organizers in the state whom I talked to has had trouble finding credible receipts for your organization since it launched it's "operation lifeboat."
I myself did many searches and could not locate receipts nor confirmation that there were trans people involved besides you. I understand protection, but that is very extreme. Since you don't live in Kansas you may not be aware, but over the last 4 years there was a trans organization that ran similarly to yours. It caused immeasurable harm. It took us those 4 years to slowly, methodically gather enough evidence to build a case and stop someone who, through claiming to need to hide names for protection, stole thousand of dollars intented for trans Kansans to pad their own pockets. This is one of many reasons that trust is earned for us.
The names that have been easiest to find for who is involved besides you were cis people, so you can probably understand how that is the information you are going off of.
You did bring headlines. Awareness is important, but so too is timing and safety. I firmly believe you had the best intentions, but the reality is that you could have started the first arrests which would have rippled into our community where we felt the brunt the most. You also chose to stage the event legislative session was out (which, honestly, is why I think we've been so fortunate to avoid arrests since your action).
You have also now used up the attention of national headlines. The discussions of Kansas are drying up again. When we are ready to stage another action, will the national presses listen when we need them? Or will they say, "oh that's been done before. We're not boosting this."
Organizers and activists hear were reasonably skeptical about a new PAC appearing, but to be transparent with you, they were cautiously optimistic. People thought maybe you just hadn't run a nonprofit before and that we could work together. After the events leading up to the action, people are no longer optimistic. They are worried and unsure what you will do next. I hope that you will use your good intentions to rebuild connections and build trust because, as you said, your experience lends itself to understanding that people closest to the problem have the lay of the land. The Midwest has many different communities with different strategies that work in the respective areas. In the same way I would not go to Nebraska to take action on their anti-trans legislation without talking to resident organizers and asking specifically what actions they are leading that I might be able to help with, I hope that you and whoever you say is with you will do the same. Trans solidarity and effective organizing are dependent on it.
This is slightly off-topic, and please forgive me (and ignore it!) if the question is unwelcome, but I noticed the term "trans panic" here, which I've heard a lot. It feels like this is buying into a bogus frame. In fact this is not a trans panic. It's trans persecution. It's a bunch of people who want to ruin the government using trans people as a wedge issue to get attention and get elected. The only people panicking here (maybe) are the victims and those who love them.
I know in a sense this is a useless quibble, but it feels like the people calling this a panic are not the perpetrators, and so maybe we should use language that serves us better. This is just the usual "persecute a minority group" playbook that we've seen play out over and over again. Can we call it that? Like, "the current wave of trans scapegoating" or something?
Please share her go fund me so we can pay her fine if one is levied.
Brava, Ms. Boucher. As always, a woman stands up in truth against corrupt power, as Justice Jackson Brown did yesterday as the lone dissent in the conversion therapy case. Thanks for the reporting as well.
wtf. Why only Jackson dissented? Sickening
Thank you Samantha Boucher!! It has to start with one incredibly brave soul willing to risk physical and emotional harm. Perhaps more will follow and the lunacy of such bigotted laws will be brought to light for the average person. I'm sorry that Ms. Boucher has to endure this, but I'm eternally grateful to her for taking that first step.
Way to be visible, Ms. Boucher!! Thank you for the reporting, S. Baum. And yes! re any GoFundMe.
Thank you Samantha Boucher. I am wondering if a mass protest would also be effective here in Texas. Not as extreme a bathroom ban as Kansas, but still need to be ruled unconstitutional