Post last updated at 5:20 p.m. Tuesday, March 28:
Students at multiple Lawrence schools participated in walkouts at 11 a.m. Tuesday to show support for transgender people.
As trans rights have come under attack in the Kansas Legislature and across the country, students wanted to make their voices heard. One bill under consideration in the Kansas Statehouse, for example, would ban doctors from providing gender-affirming care.
Hundreds of Lawrence High School students left their classes to walk from the building at 19th and Louisiana streets south to 23rd Street, west to Ousdahl Road, then back east and north to return to school.
Free State High School students protested near Sixth Street and Champion Lane.
Drew Miller, a West Middle School student, reported that about 100 eighth grade students left their classes to gather in the courtyard, then began walking toward Iowa Street.
“During our walk, spirits were high and full of pro-trans rights chants,” Miller said in an email. However, teachers and administrators redirected them back to school property, “which was met with boos and yells from us students.”
After returning to class, “some of us were disgruntled at the fact that some students failed to support trans rights, and some (went) out of their way to yell anti-trans slogans,” Miller wrote. “All in all, I had a good time, and felt proud that I was able to get out and help support trans members of society.”
Here are photos from the LHS walkout, by Molly Adams:
Here are photos from the Free State High School walkout, courtesy of Elijah Hill:
Here are photos from the West Middle School walkout, submitted by Drew Miller:
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Chloe Anderson/Lawrence Times
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
