ISSUES, ISSUES, ISSUES
At our August meeting representatives from political organizations will be present to talk to us about the important issues in Missouri and Kansas that affect and impinge on the lives of people of the lgbt community.
Jeff Wunrow of PROMO is no stranger to us and has met with us on numerous occasions. PROMO (Privacy Rights of Missourians) is the Missouri lgbt lobby and advocacy organization based in St. Louis with an office here in KC.
Steve Brown is President of the Kansas Democratic LGBT Caucus and the Secretary of the National Stonewall Democrats.
It will be an informative program so bring your significant other(s) and join us at 3pm at our usual place, Village Presbyterian Church at 6641 Mission Road, Room 307.
There will be great fellowship and good food, not only for the tummy, but for the soul as well. Come and join us.
Equality Summit on September 6
Each fall, PROMO activists committed to achieving LGBT equality through the political system have met to plan strategy for advancing pro-LGBT legislation in Missouri. In the past few years, that meeting has undergone some changes, now meeting in Columbia so that everyone in the state has an equal opportunity to participate.
The next step in the transformation of this meeting will take place on Saturday, September 6, when the first Equality Summit will be held. The Equality Summit will combine legislative strategy with planning for the upcoming election year, and ongoing outreach, coalition building, religious organizing, and fundraising.
Every significant piece of PROMO's program work will be reviewed, and concrete plans made for work in 2004. This is the most direct way to help shape who PROMO is and what we do in the community.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 6 and plan to attend PROMO's First Annual Equality Summit! Watch your email and our website for details
From our President
My very dear Kansas City PFLAGers - I have such mixed and very strong feelings as I tell you that I am retiring as president of PFLAG-Kansas City. It has been eight years of tremendously gratifying and challenging work. Now it's time for me to make a huge life change. I'll be leaving Kansas City and moving to New York City to be close to my children, grandchildren, extended family and friends. It's a hard move; leaving friends here and leaving a house I love that is filled with memories of Harvey and our life together is not easy. However, looking forward to closeness with family and new activities in New York is exciting and joyful. I do love New York City and I'll be actively involved in PFLAG there.
Most of all I value and cherish the relationships I have established in PFLAG and in the lgbt community. Board members, families that have been a part of PFLAG, the founding families, leaders and participants in lgbt organizations - all have been my family in Kansas City. PFLAG is a loved and highly esteemed organization in both the lgbt and the mainstream communities. PFLAG represents parents, families and straight allies who support our lgbt loved ones. We are an association of people who celebrate our lgbt family members and friends and who work to educate others about lgbt issues. We are activist change agents working for equality and justice for the safety of lgbt people, their families, and their communities. PFLAG has a reputation for being courageous and creative and I am so proud to be a part of this wonderful organization.
I want to introduce you to the woman who, after our September Board elections, will be the next president of PFLAG-Kansas City. She is Jamie Lee of Liberty, Missouri, mother of a gay son and active member of our chapter. Jamie is a most remarkable person - she is a visionary with exciting ideas and plans for PFLAG-KC. She is smart, funny, organized, committed to PFLAG and a warm, loving person. She brings her family - her husband Richard and two children in addition to her gay son John - to the PFLAG family. I am so thrilled to know that Jamie will be leading PFLAG-KC and consider us so very fortunate to have her leadership.
So - please do attend the next meeting on August 10 and meet Jamie. Come to the September meeting and vote for Jamie and for a PFLAG Board of Directors and, beginning with the October meeting, Jamie will officially be the president of PFLAG-Kansas City.
I thank all of the wonderful people who have come to PFLAG for support and learning and to work for lgbt rights. I thank all the Board members and active members and friends of PFLAG and I thank the Kansas City lgbt community for the love, support, validation, and learning I have experienced as president of PFLAG-KC. Thank you; I'll take you all with me in my heart when I go and leave my love for you here.
Helen Cohen
From the editor
A few days ago Helma showed me a Dear Abby column that was printed about a month ago. In case some of you didn’t read it (I don’t usually read it), I thought I would include part of it for you.
A 19 year old girl tells an all too familiar story about the “explosion” of her parents when she came out to them; “Mom cried for hours; Dad kicked me out for a week. My parents have had no trust whatsoever in me ever since.....Whenever the subject of my sexual orientation comes up, my parents call me a slut, among other things. I am now dating a wonderful young woman....I don’t dare tell my parents because I’m afraid of their reaction. Please help, Abby. I need your advice. Desperately seeking love and acceptance...”
Here was “Abby’s” answer:
“Dear Desperate: I am sorry you are not getting the support you need from your family. They need to understand that sexual orientation is not a choice. Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) could offer them some much needed insight and support .......
I have a different resource for YOU. Please contact the Trevor Project. It’s a 24-hour, toll-free hot line that promotes tolerance and provides support to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered youth.
The Trevor Helpline crisis line is the only 24-hour, 365-day toll-free line solely dedicated to counseling gay and questioning youth. Trained counselors are always there to help, and they welcome calls from any teen who is having problems relating to his or her sexual orientation--whether the person is struggling with self-doubt, peer pressure, lack of acceptance, rejection by family members and-or friends--or having thoughts of suicide. Call (866)488-7386 or go online to
www.TheTrevorProject.org.”
Times ARE changing, aren’t they. There was a time not long ago when such a letter would not even be selected for publication. Good for “Dear Abby.”
Change is still painfully slow, of course, but we must be grateful for every small step. Peace.
May I take the privilege of sharing an anecdote about my wonderful Mom who died a couple of months ago at 92.
When learning she had two gay grandsons, she wasn’t fazed at all. She freely expressed her continuing love for both of them. She shared with her gay hairdresser one day about having two gay grandsons. He started to tell her about a date he and his partner were planning that night. She abruptly interrupted him: “I’m content with you being gay, but I DON’T want to know what you DO together.” :) Russ
TAKE ACTION!
HELP DEFEAT ANTI-GAY CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
Federal Measure Would Use U.S. Constitution to Bar Same- Sex Marriage
Dear Families:
The U.S. House of Representatives has introduced an amendment which would alter the United States Constitution to prohibit recognition of same-sex marriage. While the language is short and simple, the intent is clear and the impact devastating to the progress being made regarding civil marriage equality for gay and lesbian Americans.
“Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution or the constitution of any State, nor state or federal law, shall be construed to require that marital status or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon unmarried couples or groups.”
The House version of this amendment currently has 27 co-sponsors. While there is no Senate companion measure yet, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has made his support for such an amendment clear. We expect a Senate version to be introduced soon.
A constitutional amendment must be passed by two-thirds (2/3) of the House and Senate and then ratified by three-fourths (3/4) of the states in order to change the Constitution. We must all act now to ensure that this damaging amendment fails. We urge you to contact your U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator and the President and encourage them to oppose this discriminatory amendment. A sample letter and link to send a fax is included below. Please send copies of your communications to the Family Pride Coalition, P.O. Box 65327, Washington, DC 20035 or to
advocacy@familypride.org.
Passage of a constitutional amendment would negate any and all other legal victories regarding same-sex marriage, and would leave little to no options to gaining marriage equality.
Please forward this alert to other parents and allies in order to maximize response from our families, our community and our supporters. Thank you for your time and your commitment to all our families.
Sincerely,
Corri Planck
Director of Policy & Public Affairs
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear Senator/Representative _____________:
As a constituent in your district, I urge you to oppose any attempt to amend the U.S. Constitution to discriminate against lesbian and gay Americans. Not only is the proposed anti-marriage amendment redundant, it would also bring harm to my family and countless thousands of other lesbian and gay couples across the country.
The Constitution and its subsequent amendments were designed to protect and expand individual liberties, such as granting women the right to vote and establishing that separate is not equal. The Constitution was not designed to revoke or restrict these liberties.
If the amendment makes it through the long and difficult process that is required, it would be the first time in history that our country’s Constitution was amended to restrict the rights of a whole class of people. This seems to be in direct conflict with the long history of the Constitution, which has provided equal protection to all.
As your constituent, I urge you to please oppose the proposed marriage amendment and do all you can to prevent it from being considered.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Your Address
To use HRC’s online action center to send a fax to your U.S. Senators and Representative, go to
http://www.hrcactioncenter.org/campaign/marriage_amendment_oppose.
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