To the editor:

As part of Juneteenth celebrations in Lawrence, I boarded the Boys and Girls Club buses for the Watkins Museum of History Underground Railroad tour. At the Grover Barn, a John Brown re-enactor described how the site served as a refuge for those seeking freedom. Next, we toured the Robert H. Miller home, on the national Register of Historical Places. The Millers relocated from South Carolina to Lawrence to help create a free state. Their family oral history relays stories of the Miller farm being used to shelter people seeking freedom.

This tour followed a morning panel discussion at the Lawrence Arts Center called “Existence and Resistance.” Four panelists discussed LGBTQ+ rights and legislative action poised to takeeffect July 1 in our state, mainly SB 180.

Just as it took courage for people to help those seeking freedom, it takes courage to stand up for the freedoms of any targeted minority group. Today, that is the transgender community.

Some community leaders have expressed support for the trans community and oppose enforcing SB 180, including our sheriff, our district attorney, our police chief and our mayor. This took courage.

Our city is historically an important location on the road to freedom. Will we keep that claim for our city and fight for transgender rights in our state? The Lawrence City mission statement reads “A community where all people enjoy life and feel at home.”

Let’s aim to become a “land of the free” and “home of the brave.”

Kelly Wall,

Lawrence