Lawrence declares itself a transgender safe haven and says it will not follow new Kansas law

Lawrence, Kansas, will defy the state’s new requirement to force people to use gender-specific areas, such as restrooms, that don't align with their gender identity. The unanimous vote comes just a few months after the Kansas City Council made a similar declaration.
In a unanimous vote, the Lawrence City Commission has passed an ordinance declaring the city a safe haven “for all persons seeking shelter from the adversity of discrimination, in all its forms, including those persons affected by Senate Bill 180.”

The ordinance addresses a person’s sex or gender as they identify and does not require people to identify with their sex assigned at birth. In contrast, Kansas Senate Bill 180, which became law on July 1, defines a person’s sex as “biological sex, either male or female, at birth.”