Is Kansas the "State of Hate"?......

I have been waiting to write this blog since I started blogging over a month ago. Living in the "State of Hate" is how my gay friends from other parts of the country describe where I live.

The reason they call Kansas the "State of Hate" is because of Fred Phelps. Everyone in the gay community, from coast to coast,  knows the name Fred Phelps. Mr Phelps blames everything on America's tolerance for HOMOSEXUALS..He has blamed the Greensburg tornado, earthquakes, tsunami's and many other natural  disasters on gay people. He and televangelist Pat Roberts both blamed 9-11 on gays. Phelps and his flock, which is mostly family, are most visible at the funerals of fallen military members. Anytime you see these idiots on national TV- the announcer says- "the Topeka Kansas based Westboro Baptist church protested today at.....", so everyone in country thinks that Kansas is nothing but a breeding place of biggot's and homophobes, like him and his followers.

Here is the GOOD NEWS!

Kansas is actually pretty hip! A recent survey of Kansans has reported that 79% of those surveyed think that GLBT individual's deserve the same protections afforded to every other Kansan and that sexual orientation should be a protected class just as race, religion, ethnicity and the disabled.
Even though the Kansas Legislature doesn't believe that,  almost 8 out of every 10 Kansans do.

91 percent surveyed had NO idea GLBT people weren't a protected class. They did not know that their GLBT friends could be FIRED or NOT HIRED just for being gay. They did not know that landlords could deny them housing or evict them just for being GLBT.

For the last 3 years a group call the Kansas Equality Coalition has been trying to get legislation passed to have sexual orientation added to the Kansas discrimination laws. Each year the proposed bill never makes it out of committee.

In  2007, a legislator from Hutchinson, was the ONLY person to testify AGAINST the bill.  She told her fellow legislators that she understood why African Americans needed protections- because they can't change the color of their skin. As for gay people- they don't have to tell anyone they are gay, so  there is not a need to protect them. REALLY, no need to protect- tell that to the kids who have killed themselves this month due to anti-gay bullying- tell the 18 year veteran of a company who was fired the day after the owner asked him if he was gay...tell that to the kid who had to move from his apartment due to repeated vandalism on his vehicle- where FAG was spray painted all over it.
How many times have you ever wondered if someone is gay? If your honest with yourself, you will agree that we all talk about people, we are human, we are curious. If the employer you have been working for, for the last 10 years has never ever seen you at company functions with anyone, and your in your thirties, what do people think- especially if you are a butch woman, a feminine man.- seriously?? Keep your mouths shut, and don't tell anyone--yeah right-- that's like wearing a bill board--I'M GAY!- Its is called PERCEPTION- even if your not....It makes NO sense at all.
In subsequent years, 2008-2010, the same bill has not gotten out of committee.

People in Kansas need to stand up and say- enough is enough.. It is time to show the GLBT individuals of Kansas and the rest of the country that we are not a bunch of biggot's and homophobes, WE ARE NOT the "State of Hate" described by my out of state friend's, we don't support the Fred Phelps type of people.

One last thing about the survey. 89% surveyed said they knew someone who identified as GLBT.
That is up from 63% when the same survey was done in 1993. Looks like most of us know someone who would benefit from these protections or continue to suffer if they are not passed.  Brother, sister, aunt, uncle, cousin, teacher, student, doctor, mechanic, business owner and neighbor- we are everywhere you look- the question is, do you see us?  The better question is do you want to see us?

I think you do Kansas!

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