Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly allowed a bill that could potentially prevent minors from accessing queer content online to pass without her signature.
The bill is aimed at preventing minors from accessing adult porn sites. It would require sites featuring content that is "harmful to minors" to verify visitors are 18 or older by using their government-issued IDs.
LGBTQ+ advocates are concerned Kansas' legal definition of material that is "harmful to minors" means the law could be interpreted broadly to ban young people's access to any LGBTQ+ content on the web.
Under existing state law, material that is "harmful to minors" includes "sexual conduct," which is defined in part as acts of homosexuality.
One Democrat said he voted against the measure because the legislation is written so vaguely the standard for censorship is often subjective.
It's uncertain what effects the bill could have on freedom of speech. An attorney at the ACLU of Kansas said examples include whether the material could evoke sexual excitement, that the sexual conduct is viewed as offensive, and that it lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.
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