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Anti-Trans Legislation Nationwide | Worsening Allergy Seasons

By Steve Kraske,
Chris Young, Mackenzie Martin
Published April 28, 2021 at 4:02 PM CDT
Stephanie Byers speaks at an ACLU rally outside of the Supreme Court in October 2019, prior to her being elected as the first transgender State Representative in Kansas.
Courtesy Of Byers for Kansas
/
https://www.byersforkansas.com/
Stephanie Byers speaks at an ACLU rally outside of the Supreme Court in October 2019, prior to her being elected as the first transgender state representative in Kansas.

What the reasoning is behind the flood of anti-transgender bills being introduced in statehouses around the country and an explanation of why allergies seem to be getting more severe.

Segment 1 beginning at 1:00: 2021 is seeing a record amount of anti-transgender legislation introduced by state lawmakers across the country.

Kansas State Representative Stephanie Byers reasons that it is a confluence of factors including rallying behind partisan platforms and fear-mongering. Byers describes it as "a consistent, constant bullying attack on the LGBTQ community." Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed a bill in Kansas which would ban transgender athletes from competing in women's sports, while in Missouri a similar bill is alive in the House of Representatives.

Segment 2, beginning at 26:39: Why each allergy season seems to be worse than the one before.

According to Dr. Marissa Love "the pollen counts have been increasing over time," making symptoms more severe for seasonal allergies sufferers. Explanations for the increase range from more rainfall and warmer growing seasons to "super-pollen" which can be more resistant to environmental factors.

Tags
Up To Date Kansas LegislatureLaura KellyLegislationtransgenderDiscriminationLGBTQ+IdentityKansas SenateMissouriallergiesKU Medical CenterTalk ShowHealth
Steve Kraske
When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
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Chris Young
Chris Young is an Assistant Producer for KCUR’s Up To Date. Contact him at chrisy@kcur.org.
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Mackenzie Martin
Whether it’s something happening right now or something that happened 100 years ago, some stories don’t fit in the short few minutes of a newscast. As a podcast producer and reporter at KCUR Studios, I help investigate questions and local curiosities in a way that brings listeners along for adventures with plot twists and thought-provoking ideas. Sometimes there isn’t an easy answer in the end – but my hope is that we all leave with a greater understanding of the city we live in. Reach me at mackenzie@kcur.org.
See stories by Mackenzie Martin