LGBTQ+ Pride Month officially ends Friday, but a special rally is set to take place Saturday in downtown Emporia.
Called “Pride Never Ends,” the rally is among several taking place this weekend across Kansas on the day Senate Bill 180 takes effect. SB 180, also known as the Women’s Bill of Rights, defines biological sex in areas like domestic violence centers, locker rooms and restrooms. Supporters say the law protects women from unwanted or potentially dangerous incursions in these areas, while critics — including Pride Never Ends organizers — have said the bill was designed to “erase” trans and non-binary residents from state law and its protections.
The rally begins at 11 am at White Auditorium.
This comes as a late legal battle escalates quickly between Kansas Governor Laura Kelly and Attorney General Kris Kobach. The governor says she will direct most stage agencies to follow SB 180 according to their legal department’s interpretation of the new law, but that will not apply to driver’s licenses or birth certificates — essentially letting trans residents change gender markers on those specific documents. That does not sit well with Kobach, who says the Legislature passed the bill and overrode the governor’s resulting veto. He also says the governor’s decision violates Kelly’s oath of office to uphold state law.
A court battle appears increasingly likely in this case.
