Stephanie Byers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stephanie Byers
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Byers in 2020
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| Member of the Kansas House of Representatives from the 86th district |
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| In office January 11, 2021 – January 9, 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Jim Ward |
| Succeeded by | Silas Miller |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 5, 1963 Norman, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Lori Haas |
| Education | Oklahoma Christian University (BM) Kansas State University (MM) |
Stephanie Byers (born February 5, 1963) is an American politician and a former teacher. She made history when she was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 2020. Her election was very important because she became the first openly transgender person to serve in the Kansas Legislature. She was also the first transgender Native American person, a member of the Chickasaw Nation, to be elected to public office in the United States. She served one term and then decided not to run for reelection.
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Early Life and Learning
Stephanie Byers was born on February 5, 1963, in Norman, Oklahoma. She shared that she is transgender in 2014. Stephanie studied music in college. She earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Oklahoma Christian University in 1986. Later, she received a Master of Music degree from Kansas State University in 2015.
Career and Public Service
Teaching and Advocacy
Before becoming a politician, Stephanie Byers taught at Wichita North High School for 29 years. She retired from teaching in 2019. In 2018, she received a special award called the National Educator of the Year from an organization called GLSEN. This group works to make schools safe for all students, including those who are LGBTQ+.
From 2018 to 2020, she was part of the board for Wichita Pride. This group supports the LGBTQ+ community in Wichita. She helped with their communications and served as the board secretary. She also spoke at a rally outside the Supreme Court of the United States. She spoke on behalf of GLSEN to support equal rights for LGBTQ+ people.
Serving in the Kansas House
In 2019, Stephanie Byers decided to run for a seat in the Kansas House of Representatives. This is a part of the state government that makes laws for Kansas. She wanted to represent the 86th district. She won the election in 2020. This made her the first transgender person ever elected to the Kansas legislature. She was also the first transgender Native American person elected to office in the United States. She is a member of the Chickasaw Nation.
In June 2022, Stephanie Byers decided not to run for reelection. She explained that she needed to focus on her family. Both her parents and her wife's parents were having health issues. She also mentioned that serving in the legislature had been very challenging. She said it was emotionally tiring to face repeated attacks while trying to pass laws. Despite these challenges, she received a lot of support from many people.
See also
- Althea Garrison, first transgender person elected to a state legislature
- List of transgender public officeholders in the United States
