New Kansas Group To Push For Civil Rights

[MuseRider]

NEW KANSAS GROUP TO PUSH FOR CIVIL RIGHTS FOR
GAY MEN, LESBIANS, BISEXUALS AND TRANSGENDER PEOPLE

EMPORIA, KAN. -- Representatives from Wichita, Kansas City, Topeka, Lawrence
and Manhattan met Sunday to launch the Kansas Equality Coalition, a new
statewide group formed to work for civil rights and fairness for gay men,
lesbians, bisexual and transgendered people.

"Kansans are fair-minded people," said Thomas Witt, chair of the new
statewide organization. "Unfortunately, many haven't had an opportunity to
get accurate information about their gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgendered neighbors. Others haven't had a way to effectively organize
to work toward fair and equitable laws. The Kansas Equality Coalition
intends to solve both problems."

Sunday's meeting in Emporia was the first for the Coalition's board of
directors. The meeting kicked off the campaign to form chapters around the
state.

The idea for the new group was sparked by the campaign against the state
constitutional amendment that banned same-sex marriage and prohibited any
form of legal rights for same-sex couples. That amendment was approved by
the voters on April 5.

"The amendment passed, but the campaign made us stronger," Witt said. "For
the first time, we were able to build a statewide network of moderate
Kansans to fight for equitable laws."

Many organizations helped create the new group, including Equality Kansas,
Kansas Democratic LGBT Caucus, Kansans for Justice and Equality, Parents,
Friends and Families of Lesbians and Gays, the Kansas League of Women
Voters, Equal Justice Coalition, Flint Hills Human Rights Project, Log Cabin
Republicans, the Topeka Center for Peace and Justice and Mainstream
Coalition.

Kansans For Fairness, the group formed to oppose the amendment, was
officially disbanded after the amendment campaign ended. Many of the people
who worked with Kansans For Fairness helped create the new group.

The new Coalition is a non-profit, non-partisan group composed of local
chapters and governed by a statewide board of directors. Each chapter
appoints members to represent it on the central board. The board also
includes three at-large members.

Equality Kansas, a Wichita-based group; the Equal Justice Coalition, Topeka;
and the Flint Hills Human Rights Project, Manhattan will form the basis of
the South Central Kansas, Topeka and Flint Hills chapters. Other chapters
are being formed in Lawrence and the Kansas City metropolitan area. Chapters
are also expected to form in other cities around the state.

This has been what I have been busy doing. I am very proud to announce that we are up and running. :) Wish us luck! http://kansasequalitycoalition.org/

[DancingBear]

1. Always stirring up the pot, aren't we?

I just don't know what to do with you, except to say:

:yourock:

[MuseRider]

2. Between that and picking up

roadside trash I am quite the busy little bee these days!

So, did you get to that sideboard or were you busy refreshing DU all day?

Thanks :yourock: too!

[DancingBear]

4. Let's just say I am, er, slightly behind on said project

But I DID work on it - kind of. Somewhat. For a bit.

[sui generis]

3. good luck! definitely around the university towns

and bigger population areas, although I have cousins/extended family in Cawker, Glen Elder, Tipton, Beloit who are quite okay with me bringing the other Mr. Sui to the annual family reunion. And I would bring him anyway, whether they approved or not.

Maybe it helps that he's former Navy LCDR on the Enterprise and among other things, neither of us deliver on the stereotypes (although that shouldn't matter at all).

It takes just showing people that you ARE normal. Our lives are certainly NOT the same as other people's but as people we ourselves are pretty normal and not very different from anyone else.

And we're not hard to look at either, for what it's worth ;), shouldn't matter either but the reality is that people WANT you to belong to a stereotype because they know all the complex sets of "should be's" and expected responses and don't have to think real hard about much, even if it means that some of those responses are reflexively hateful.

Just break their reflexes through exposure.

Good luck!

[MuseRider]

6. You know that is exactly

what I found out doing phone banking on our local ordinance issue. Many people told me that. Some of course, stated they did not condone the behavior(I still think that is very odd that they feel they must say that) but because they knew someone or had neighbors who are openly gay they felt that they could not vote against their rights because the liked them and respected them. So it seems we are caught between if it is safe to be out in some of the communities in order to bring about acceptance or if it is better to educate from the outside to make it safe. Such a mess. Well, we have rolled up our sleeves and are ready to do whatever works.

[Mabus]

5. Way to go Muse!

:yourock:

Thank you for all of your hard work. I honestly don't know how you have the time or energy!

[MuseRider]

7. You will have a chapter in

your town so join up so we can have the numbers to back up our actions. It is always best when going to the legislators if you have those numbers. Your chapter should really rock!

[Mabus]

8. I'm on it.

I've got on the calendar and will pass the word on.

[MuseRider]

9. Thank you.

The press called me today so we are getting the word out. YAY!

[newyawker99]

10. Good luck MuseRider!

:-)