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 on February 5, 1963, is an American politician and teacher. She made history by becoming the first openly transgender person to serve in the Kansas Legislature. She was also the first transgender Native American, from the Chickasaw Nation, to be elected to public office in the United States. She served in the Kansas House of Representatives from 2021 to 2023.
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Early Life and Education
Stephanie Byers was born in Norman, Oklahoma, on February 5, 1963. She shared that she was transgender in 2014.
She studied music in college. In 1986, she earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Oklahoma Christian University. Later, in 2015, she received a Master of Music degree from Kansas State University.
Career Highlights
Teaching Career
Before becoming a politician, Stephanie Byers was a dedicated teacher. She taught at Wichita North High School for 29 years. She retired from teaching in 2019.
In 2018, she received a special award. The organization GLSEN gave her the National Educator of the Year award. This award recognized her work as a teacher.
From 2018 to 2020, she was part of the board for Wichita Pride. This group supports the LGBTQ+ community. She helped with communications and served as the board secretary. She also spoke at a rally outside the Supreme Court of the United States. She spoke for GLSEN during an important court case.
Serving in the Kansas House
In 2019, Stephanie Byers decided to run for office. She wanted to represent the 86th district in the Kansas House of Representatives. This is a part of the state government that makes laws.
She won the election in 2020. This was a very important victory. She became the first openly transgender person to be elected to the Kansas Legislature. She was also the first transgender Native American elected to public office in the United States.
She served one term in the Kansas House of Representatives. In June 2022, she 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 the time in the legislature was challenging. She said there were laws proposed that were difficult for the transgender community. She also faced negative comments online. Despite these challenges, she received support from many people.
See Also
- Althea Garrison, another transgender person elected to a state legislature
- List of transgender public officeholders in the United States
