Women attending the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson are apparently facing extremely long lines to use the bathroom, and the state’s new anti-trans bathroom bill is reportedly to blame. The bill, S.B. 244, bans Kansans from using bathroom facilities that do not align with the sex they were born as, but is apparently having unintended consequences.
As reported by ABC Affiliate KAKE news and LGBTQ Nation, the “ripple effects” of the bill have seen notices placed outside men’s and women’s bathrooms at the fair warning attendees that “Pursuant to Kansas Senate Bill 244, this multiple-occupancy private space is designated for use by individuals of the corresponding sex. Single-occupancy/family restrooms are available for individuals who require assistance or additional privacy in select locations.”
Entering the “wrong” bathroom can have serious consequences. The bill’s provisions allow anyone to sue someone entering a bathroom for up to $1,000 in damages, or potentially face a six-month jail sentence.
“I really have to go really, really bad”
It is unclear how many trans people are attending the state fair, though KAKE quotes Kansas State Fair General Manager Bryan Schulz as saying that it’s predominantly impacting cis women: “The reason that those signs went up is, over the last couple years we’ve had females going into the males’ restrooms, not only at the grandstand but other places, because the lines are a lot longer in the females’ restrooms.”
Kansas State Fair signs highlight new transgender bathroom restriction law: https://t.co/mgAO1Hk35h #KAKEnews
— KAKE News (@KAKEnews) September 16, 2026
It’s important to underline that the bill as written doesn’t explicitly target trans people, only seeks to restrict bathroom access by “biological sex”, meaning it applies to everyone. Fairgoer Autumn Padgett is not pleased, telling KAKE: “Men should typically go into the men’s, women should typically go into the women’s. However, I have had situations where I do have to go to the men’s bathroom because I really have to go really, really bad.”
As of writing, it’s unclear whether any fair attendees have been penalized for using the “wrong” bathroom, though the reported presence of long lines for the ladies indicates that the new law is being obeyed. There are also no confirmed incidents or accounts of any trans people being affected by the law at the state fair, which indicates that its application may have somewhat backfired on Kansans.
KAKE quotes Harper Seldin, a senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, as saying that “I think this law is really about trying to figure out who belongs in Kansas and who doesn’t. If S.B. 244 remains in effect, it’s a pretty clear statement that transgender Kansans don’t belong in Kansas and intersex people don’t belong in Kansas.”
