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Kansas Students Protest Transgender Bathroom Bill

Stephen Koranda
/
Kansas Public Radio
Students protesting at the Kansas Statehouse.

Three dozen high school students from the Kansas City area protested at the Kansas Statehouse on Friday against legislation they say targets transgendered residents. The proposal would require students to use the restroom of their gender at birth.

Misha Maran is a student at Olathe North High School who says this will make life harder for transgender students.

“This just puts some more weight on their backs because they have to go to school eight hours a day and now they can’t even be comfortable at school where they have to go every day. It affects them mentally,” Maran says.

Some supporters of the legislation say it ensures more privacy in the restroom by excluding people of the opposite sex. The legislation has been introduced in both the House and Senate. With only the veto session remaining, it’s unlikely the proposal will make much headway this year.

Stephen Koranda is the managing editor of the Kansas News Service, based at KCUR. He has nearly 20 years of experience in public media as a reporter and editor.