FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TOPEKA, Kan. – Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach elevated Dr. James Cantor as an ‘expert witness’ to defend one of his cases, despite Dr. Cantor’s history of defending pedophilia. Dr. Cantor previously served on the Advisory Council of the Prostasia Foundation. This group advocated for controversial policies that promoted normalizing pedophilia, including campaigning against state and federal laws that criminalized the possession or sale of child-like sex dolls.

“Kansans deserve an Attorney General who protects our children and keeps our communities safe. That’s why it’s alarming and irresponsible that Kris Kobach cites a man who said pedophilia is ‘not inherently wrong or harmful’ as an ‘expert witness’ in this case,” Lauren Fitzgerald, spokesperson for Kansas Coalition for Common Sense said. “Let’s keep decisions about our children’s healthcare between their parents and medical doctors.”

State witness in lawsuit over gender-affirming care ban scrutinized for view that pedophilia is ‘not inherently wrong or harmful’

Kansas Reflector | Anna Kaminski

June 30, 2026

• Douglas County District Court Judge Carl Folsom issued a ruling in May that temporarily overturned part of a state law banning gender-affirming care for minors. On June 15, Kobach filed a notice of appeal.
  

• In his 117-page decision, [Judge] Folsom evaluated the credibility of witnesses on both sides of the case. He applied scrutiny to the state’s witnesses, which included a plastic surgeon, a medical ethicist, an endocrinologist who treats adults and a neuroscientist and psychologist. The families’ witnesses included a child psychiatrist, a pediatric hospitalist and two pediatric endocrinologists.
  

• The neuroscientist-psychologist, James Cantor, has testified in favor of gender-affirming care bans in cases across the country. Folsom gave his testimony on the effects of hormone therapy and puberty blockers and the quality of gender-affirming care research little weight. Cantor specializes in sex and couples therapy for adults and has been recognized for research on pedophilia.
  

“That’s why it’s alarming and irresponsible that Kris Kobach cites a man who said pedophilia is ‘not inherently wrong or harmful’ as an ‘expert witness’ in this case,” Fitzgerald said, referencing a 2019 social media post in which Cantor draws a distinction between pedophilia and child molestation.

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