Good day everyone, it has been a month since we last chatted, so I figured today would be a great day to update you on some Equality issues here in the State of Kansas and my hometown of Hutchinson Kansas.
I want to thank everyone who has been reading my blog. I am shocked that so many people from all over the world are interested in what I have to say, that is incredibly humbling.
Today is a beautiful day, Spring has really sprung here in central Kansas. The trees have all leafed out and the birds are practicing their songs like an orchestra preparing for a performance, it is wonderful!
On the LGBT Equality front there are many things happening. Locally we have GREAT news! The Hutchinson Human Relations Commission, in a 9-0 vote, will be submitting a recommendation to the Hutchinson City Council to add "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" be added as protected classes.
This recommendation didn't come easy.
The opponents are still using the tired scare tactics that women and children will be brutalized in restrooms and that businesses will be sued if they dont have special locker rooms for transgender persons. Anyone who follows this movement knows that this how the opponents stir people up- and the crazy thing is they ask for MONEY while doing it-do you think those contributions are going to the poor and homeless or to soup kitchens? No it is going to promote hate and bigotry.
These innocent sounding groups like the Family Policy Research Council and the American Family Association go the the local churches and the anti gay political parties i.e. the Tea Party, who are already against LGBT Equality. These group tell the churches and politcal groups that the Gays are coming, the Gays are coming...and they want "special rights"or what they call "special rights" and bingo, you have immediate controversy within some of the so called Christian community and far right radical Republicans, who call themselves "Patriots".
After the opponents lost their arguement they immediately began trying to intimidate the City Council by presenting them with close to 600 signature of people who were against adding these protections. The fact is in Hutchinson only 357 signatures are needed to have a special election of the people- so the opponents are sending a message to the City that if they pass the proposed ordinace, they will be petitioning for a special election, so the public can vote on these proposed civil rights.... As one of the Human Relations Commissioners said, if we would have voted on the Civil Rights act of 1964, we would still have slaves.. which is terribly sad, but most likely true.
What people are arguing over for the most part is Transgender persons. Kansas Equality Coalition, the group I am involved with locally only has one person who identifies as transgender. This member hasnt even started his transition yet.. Our opponents are making lots of noise and trying to scare the heck out of a community. I only know of two maybe three persons who identify as transgender living in Hutchinson and NOT ONE has even started transitioning. Our opponents make it sound like there are hundreds in Hutchinson wating to start using restroom and locker rooms all over the city and will be filing complaints and lawsuits on a daily basis if they are not allowed to go in to the restroom or locker room of their choice- which couldnt be further from the truth. I will keep you posted on where this ends up.
At the State level, our insanely conservative Kansas House of Representative passed the Bill that will allow Fred Phelps or those like him to sue City's, local school disctricts and universities if the polices they have in place now or any policies or ordinaces they look at enacting in the future would pose a burden or potential burden to their religious beliefs. The exception to this law is that any exisiting protected class (recognized by the State) cannot be considered to be a burden, only those groups who are not protected can be sued. Guess which groups they are talking about without even talking about it...YES... you got it.. Those damn LGBT taxpayers and voters...
This law, sadly, is just one vote away from being passed here in Kansas, with the Governor promising to sign it. Our only hope is that smarter and less bigoted heads will prevail in the moderate Kansas Senate. If this law is passed the Radical Religious groups will have pierced that vail that seperates church from State, which is why I dont think it would pass a Constitutional test, but that will take years to get through the courts, with LGBT Equality being set back 50 years.
Religious groups are already a protected class in EVERY State of this country. They are free to discriminate against anyone and everyone they chose to, that is how current laws are written. Why do they need these additonal protections, oh thats right, they claim they are under attack from groups who are ruining marriage and brainwashing their children into becoming Gay..
I have three questions to ask,
When is the last time LGBT persons came to your door wanting to share their lives with you and invite you to a LGBT meeting?
Since Religious groups are under such vigorous attacks, why havent we seen ANY claims filed with local, state and federal Human Relations Commissions or EEOC groups?
So who needs protections?
