As Kansas suddenly begins revoking the driver’s licenses of some transgender residents under a new Republican-backed law, ride-sharing company Lyft is drawing praise from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups across the country for offering discounted rides to those affected.
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On Saturday evening, the rideshare company Posted “If you live in Kansas and need new transportation, use code TRANSJOY to get 50% off your ride this week,” the thread reads, along with a pink heart and trans pride flag emoji. Lyft added in a follow-up post: “Up to $10 in total discounts, valid through March 9, 2026. Supplies are limited.” This promotion marks one of the first visible responses by businesses to the immediate practical impact of this legislation.
The proposal comes just two days after Senate Bill 244 went into effect. Under this law, a Kansas driver’s license with a gender marker that does not match the sex assigned at birth is automatically invalidated. The law does not provide for a grace period. Instead, it declares that previously issued licenses that do not match the state’s legal definition of gender, which Kansas law defines as biological sex at birth, are “null and void” upon issuance.
related: Two transgender men sue Kansas government over law invalidating driver’s licenses
The Department of Motor Vehicles was required to notify affected individuals in writing that their certification was no longer valid and instruct them to return their licenses. A new license must then be issued that reflects the gender assigned at birth. Some of those letters were sent dated Monday. This means, as of Thursday, transgender Kansan whose license reflects their gender identity will be legally considered to be driving without a valid license until they comply with the new requirements.
A Lyft spokesperson said the promotion is in line with the company’s broader mission.
“At Lyft, our purpose is to serve and connect, and that means we want to help everyone get to the people and places they love, no matter who they are or where they come from,” a spokesperson said in a statement. Defender. They did not say how the company would respond to transgender drivers in Kansas who would be affected by the law.
Lyft is coming off a strong year financially. in Financial results will be announced in early Februarythe company reported record results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2025, announced a new $1 billion stock repurchase program, and CEO David Risher said the company would enter a “transformation period” in 2026.
A Lyft spokesperson said the company’s mission is to serve and connect all people, regardless of their background.Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
The company says it provides job seekers with discounted or donated rides, access to food and emergency response through its Lyft Up program. In 2024, the company reported providing more than 100,000 free or discounted rides during emergencies such as wildfires and severe storms.
Lyft has supported a variety of causes over the years.
Lyft says that since 2017, its riders have donated more than $42 million to nonprofit organizations through its Roundup & Donations program. Human Rights Campaign and American Civil Liberties Union. The company also received a perfect score on HRC. Corporate Equality Index.
Lyft also partners with Advocates for Trans Equality. Initiatives to help transgender riders and drivers update their identification documentsThis includes supporting efforts to change names and gender markers on state IDs and other records as part of the company’s efforts to reduce barriers within its platform.
Eric Bloom, vice president of corporate citizenship for the Human Rights Campaign, praised Lyft’s support while harshly criticizing the Kansas law. “It’s great to see Lyft. [which] “The company has long been a staunch supporter of equality for LGBTQ+ workers and customers, and is active in supporting transgender people in Kansas,” Bloom said in a statement to The Advocate. “More business leaders should be asking how they can use their resources to protect the dignity of their customers and employees.”
related: Kansas immediately revokes driver’s licenses of transgender residents
SB 244 would also prohibit transgender residents and Kansas natives from updating their gender on future state-issued driver’s licenses or birth certificates. Additionally, it restricts access to restrooms in government buildings based on gender assigned at birth and allows private lawsuits against individuals accused of violating these provisions.
The direct consequences are real. A driver’s license is often essential for employment, school, medical appointments, and basic errands. Civil rights activists argue that even more damaging are forced disclosures that force transgender people to present identification that is inconsistent with how they live and move through the world.
“This bill is a direct attack on the dignity and humanity of transgender Kansans,” Monica Bennett, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, said in a statement announcing the lawsuit on behalf of two transgender men in the state who are challenging the law. Harper Seldin, senior staff attorney for the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Project, called SB 244 a “cruel and violent threat to public safety,” adding that revoking state-issued IDs “threatens to exclude transgender people against their will every time they apply for a job, rent an apartment, or interact with law enforcement.”
Since President Donald Trump took office again in 2025, corporate responses to anti-LGBTQ+ legislation have become increasingly politically charged. Since then, the Trump administration has taken a negative stance on diversity and inclusion efforts across American society. At President Trump’s direction, the federal government adopted the position that biological sex is strictly defined at birth and that federal policy does not recognize gender nonconformity.
“Trans Kansan people should never have had their lives turned upside down by this terrible atrocity by Congress,” Bloom said. “This law is disrupting lives and causing real harm.”
He added: “We will never stop fighting for a future where transgender people’s freedom to live with dignity is not dictated by the whims of political agendas.”
Source: Advocate.com – www.advocate.com
