Selfcare & Sexual Wellness

Kansas AG Sues to Halt Gender Changes on Transgender Licenses

TOPEKA, Kan. – In a striking move against transgender rights, Kris Kobach, the Republican attorney general of Kansas, has initiated legal proceedings in an effort to bar transgender individuals from altering the sex designation on their driver’s licenses. This lawsuit also serves as a rebuke to the Democratic governor, Laura Kelly, who has refused to adhere to Kobach’s interpretation of a recent law.

Kobach filed the lawsuit in a state court, seeking an injunction that would prohibit Gov. Kelly and her administration from allowing alterations to the sex markers on transgender residents’ licenses. According to Kobach, the law that came into effect on the past Saturday not only impedes such alterations but also mandates the state to nullify any changes made previously, which amounts to about 1,300 changes in the past four years.

However, last week, Gov. Kelly’s office announced that the state health department and the motor vehicle division would continue to permit such changes on identification documents. The Governor, a staunch supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, maintains that this practice does not contravene the new law, an interpretation backed by her administration’s legal team. Despite her veto of the law, the Republican-dominated Legislature overrode her decision.

Responding to this announcement, Kobach accused Kelly of breaching her oath of office to uphold Kansas law. His lawsuit, filed on Friday, names two officials who supervise driver’s licenses issuance as defendants. It contends, “The Governor cannot arbitrarily decide which laws she will enforce and which she will disregard.”

Kobach’s legal action seeks to compel the governor to implement the law as he interprets it but does not request a halt to changes to birth certificates. The reasons behind focusing the lawsuit solely on driver’s licenses, as well as how swiftly the district court in Shawnee County, where the state capital, Topeka, is located, will address the case remains uncertain. The case may be referred to a trial court for fact-finding, potentially extending a resolution timeframe for months.

The controversial Kansas law is among numerous legislations enacted this year in various U.S. statehouses aimed at rolling back transgender rights. However, only a handful of states prohibit transgender people from modifying their birth certificates. Recently, Federal judges upheld similar policies in Oklahoma and Tennessee, and a no-change policy in Montana is anticipated to face legal scrutiny.

In 2018, Gov. Kelly won her first term by defeating Kobach, who was then serving as the Kansas secretary of state. Kobach made a political comeback last year by winning the attorney general’s race as Kelly secured her second term, with both winning by narrow margins.

The interpretation of the new law by the governor is at odds with those of LGBTQ+ rights advocates. The advocates predicted that the law would bar transgender people from modifying their driver’s licenses, effectively leading to a legal “erasure” of their identities, a sentiment Kobach affirmed in his legal opinion.

Ty Goeke, a 37-year-old transgender resident of Topeka, expressed his fears about not having identification that reflects his identity. After changing both his birth certificate and driver’s license last month, he now feels more at ease. Goeke, along with his wife Mallory, participated in a rally supporting transgender rights last week.

The matter is further complicated by a 2018 federal lawsuit against Kansas health department officials by four transgender residents contesting a previous no-change policy on birth certificates under a Republican governor. This policy also obstructed alterations in driver’s licenses. Gov. Kelly settled this lawsuit shortly after taking office in 2019. A federal judge subsequently issued an order that obligates the state to permit changes to birth certificates, an order that is still in effect.

Kobach has appealed to the federal judge to repeal this order, asserting that the new state law takes precedence. This viewpoint is contested by others.

Selfcare & Sexual Wellness

U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Mail Delivery of Abortion Pills in 7-2 Vote

The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an anti-abortion challenge targeting federal rules that allow abortion pills to be prescribed online and delivered through the mail.

In a 7-2 decision, the court granted an emergency appeal from the makers of Mifepristone and blocked a ruling from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in Louisiana that would have banned the mailing of the medication. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr. dissented.

Justice Alito criticized the decision, arguing it undermined the court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which returned abortion regulation authority to individual states.

The ruling represents a setback for abortion opponents who argue that abortion medication is unsafe. The case will now return to the 5th Circuit for further review.

Mifepristone was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2000 as a safe and effective medication for ending early pregnancies and treating miscarriages. It is commonly used together with misoprostol, a second drug that causes cramping.

Since 2016, the FDA has gradually eased restrictions on the medication. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, the agency temporarily suspended the requirement for patients to obtain the pills directly from a clinic or doctor, before permanently removing the rule in 2023.

Medication abortions now account for nearly two-thirds of abortions in the United States, while telehealth services are used in approximately 27% of abortion cases nationwide.

The lawsuit was brought by Liz Murrill, who argued that allowing abortion pills to be mailed weakened Louisiana’s strict abortion ban. A federal judge initially delayed a final decision while the FDA conducted a separate review of the drug’s safety.

However, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals later ruled that the FDA had improperly relaxed its regulations, immediately reinstating restrictions on mailing the medication beginning May 1.

Abortion law experts described the appeals court decision as highly unusual, noting that courts rarely force the FDA to restore safety restrictions that the agency previously reviewed and deemed unnecessary.

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Chaturbate: Health + Wellness Event Returns Sept 17

Chaturbate announces its fifth annual Health + Wellness Event for September 17, 2025, themed “New Age of Self-Care.” The site frames self-care as a strategy for creators—covering unplugging without losing income, eating better without guilt, and setting boundaries that stick—through candid talks with creators and experts. Attendees can ask questions live in the chat during each session.

Schedule (PDT)
10:00–10:45 AM — Rest is Radical: Sleep, Balance & the Burnout Epidemic
Creators share strategies for downtime and prioritizing rest without sacrificing growth.
Speakers: Raquel Savage (Therapist), VioletttFlowers (Chaturbate Creator), BlondeFoxSilverFox (Chaturbate Creator).

11:00–11:45 AM — Glow Up From the Inside Out: Nutrition, Movement & Sex-Positive Wellness
How fueling your body and staying active can enhance confidence, libido, and overall well-being on—and off—camera.
Speakers: Chris Boss (Registered Dietitian), SaraLoveRays (Chaturbate Creator), LailaGetsNaked (Chaturbate Creator), DCHCCO (Chaturbate Creator).

12:00–12:45 PM — Wellness on a Budget: Affordable Self-Care for Creators
Small, sustainable habits and routines that don’t break the bank.
Speakers: Dr. Shawn (Board-Certified Anesthesiologist), AdalineStar, AlphaZack14, TiffaniLove (Chaturbate Creators).

1:00–1:45 PM — Mind Over Media: Mental Health in the Age of Always Being “On”
A candid discussion on anxiety, burnout, boundaries, therapy, and the pressures of always being online.
Speakers: Romi Rain (Adult Industry Icon), Heatherbby (Chaturbate Creator).

Chaturbate invites creators to join the live sessions and engage with the panelists throughout the day. More details: chaturbate.com/healthandwellness.

Selfcare & Sexual Wellness

Italy: Senate Passes Law Introducing Life Imprisonment for Femicide

In a historic move aimed at combating gender-based violence, the Italian Senate has unanimously passed a bill that formally enshrines femicide as a distinct criminal offense in the country’s Penal Code. With 161 votes in favor and none against, the legislation mandates life imprisonment for anyone found guilty of killing a woman out of gender-based hatred or with the intent to suppress her rights and freedoms.

According to Italy’s national press agency ANSA, cited by Agerpres, the law defines femicide as the act of murdering a woman “out of discrimination or hatred rooted in her gender, or with the goal of repressing her rights, freedoms, or identity.”

Beyond setting the maximum penalty, the bill also imposes tougher restrictions on access to prison benefits for femicide convicts and mandates new national programs focused on education and awareness to help prevent gender-based violence before it escalates.

The bill now moves to the Chamber of Deputies for final approval. Its introduction comes amid growing public outrage over the rise in femicide cases across Italy. In 2024 alone, official data from the Interior Ministry recorded 113 femicides, of which 99 occurred in family or intimate contexts. Tragically, 61 women were killed by current or former partners.

If adopted, Italy will join a small but growing number of countries that have codified femicide as a standalone crime—marking a pivotal moment in the nation’s efforts to protect women and address systemic violence rooted in misogyny.