A KIFA Day Reflection from Rev. Amanda Baker

At KIFA Day 2026, while we were discussing the lived realities of his vote for SB 244 and again to override the governor’s veto of it, Senator Mike Argabright asked me what I would say to the folks who feel very strongly in favor of it, because it’s “very emotional on both sides.”

I want to share with you a paraphrase of the answer I gave him.

I said, “As United Methodists, we sum up the basics of our call to faithful living in three rules: Do No Harm, Do Good, and Stay in love with God.”

In the case of trans people’s ID’s and bathroom use, there’s been no real evidence of harm to letting trans folk live their lives. (This was an important reason Kobach’s first attempt to refuse gender corrected licenses failed in court.)

Many people talk about protecting women from “biological males” but there is no data, statistics or evidence to support that women are being attacked by trans folks or by cis male predators pretending to be trans. In fact, studies in 4 states during times when trans folks’ bathroom use was specifically protected turned up NO SUCH INCIDENTS. (See study here.)

There are very real incidences of harm done by invalidating Licenses, creating chaos in people’s documents and making trans folks decide between breaking a law and facing penalties, or outting themselves and placing themselves in a situation  that could lead to their harm, not to mention the increased incidence of harrassment for cis folk who don’t fit strict expectations of gender, potential for predatory cis men to slip
Into women’s bathrooms and folks get used to seeing trans men in those spaces, and the increase in suicidality in young trans folks when states pass bathroom bans and healthcare bans.

It has been said that Argabright told some constituents that he “didn’t know” how SB 244 would affect people.

Knowing what a law will do before he voted for it-Twice-Is literally his job. Failure of this level is unacceptable.

His reiteration at the end of our time that it’s “very emotional on both sides” did little to reassure me that he understands or cares about the consequences of his choices, but perhaps God will use that moment in some way.