PrideVMC Statement on Kansas Law SB 244
On June 30, 2026, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its decision in West Virginia v. B.P.J., upholding state laws prohibiting transgender girls from participating on girls’ school sports teams.
While the legal question before the Court centered on school athletics, we recognize that many members of our community are experiencing this decision as part of a broader pattern of legislative, executive, and judicial actions affecting LGBTQ+ people, particularly transgender and nonbinary individuals. While each action stands on its own legally, they rarely feel separate to the people living through them.
The veterinary profession does not exist apart from the world around it. LGBTQ+ veterinary professionals, regardless of our role in veterinary medicine, do not leave our identities outside the doors of our workplaces. Many of us are also parents, mentors, educators, colleagues, friends, family members, and/or allies to transgender and nonbinary youth. When uncertainty grows outside our profession, it inevitably enters our hospitals, laboratories, classrooms, universities, boardrooms, and workplaces, especially when it impacts the people we love.
That is why this moment matters to PrideVMC.
PrideVMC believes that every LGBTQ+ person deserves the opportunity to learn, work, lead, and contribute as their authentic self without fear that their identity will limit their safety, wellbeing, or future. We also recognize that many members of our community hold multiple marginalized identities, and that those experiences shape how moments like this are felt.
As a profession, we each have a role in shaping cultures of belonging. Leadership is reflected in the workplaces we build, the students we mentor, the colleagues we support, and the environments we create every day. Anyone can say they value belonging when it costs nothing. The true measure of our commitment is whether we continue building it when it requires courage. PrideVMC remains committed to building a veterinary profession where LGBTQ+ people are seen, supported, empowered to lead, and able to thrive as their authentic selves.
To our transgender and nonbinary members, colleagues, students, and loved ones: we see you, we value you, and you belong here.
If today’s decision has left you wondering what you can do next, we invite you to take action with us.
- Join or renew your PrideVMC membership to strengthen the community, education, and leadership development that support LGBTQ+ people across veterinary medicine. Allies are always welcome and encouraged!
- Get involved by joining one of our working groups, attending a PrideVMC event, or volunteering your time and talents.
- Stay informed and connected by joining the ACLU’s virtual town hall on West Virginia v. B.P.J., exploring PrideVMC’s Virtual First Aid Kit, and subscribing to Erin in the Morning for ongoing coverage of issues affecting transgender communities.
Community isn’t something we inherit. It’s something we build. Thank you to every member of our profession who continues to choose inclusion, compassion, and courage in the moments that matter most.
In community,
The Pride Veterinary Medical Community Board of Directors
