TOPEKA (KSNT) — People from the transgender community say a policy being pushed by the Brownback administration restricts them from changing their gender on their birth certificates.

Stephanie Mott, a transgender activist, says that these regulations developed by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment would infringe on the transgender community’s rights.

“Our government seems to be on a mission to make life more difficult for people who are transgender and make it more difficult for us to be able to live who we truly are,” she says.

Under the current regulation, people can have their gender changed if they provide a medical certificate that substantiates an anatomical or physiological change occurred. But under this new policy, a person would have to declare that their original documented gender was wrong and provide medical records backing up that claim.

KSNT asked the Kansas Department of Health and Environment why this change was necessary. They said via e-mail: “The existing regulation is not in compliance with Kansas law. With these changes, the regulation will be brought into compliance.”

They also directed us to this website that lists the regulations.

There will be an open meeting on the policy on May 12 at the Curtis State Building.