Today is Iowa Gay-Straight Alliance Day
January 27, 2010 by James Hipps
Even in today’s world, coming out can be a huge risk, especially for our LGBT youth. Many gay and lesbian teens who do come out can find themselves ostracized by teachers, peers and even family. However one state is being proactive in helping their LGBT youth.
Iowa’s Governor Chet Culver has proclaimed today, Wednesday, January 27 “Iowa Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) Day.”
The state’s Lieutenant Governor, Patty Judge, read Culver’s official proclamation Tuesday night during Iowa Pride Network’s GSA Kick-Off Party held in downtown Des Moines.
The day’s events are planned by the Iowa Pride Network, a state-wide non-profit that assists students in starting and enhancing GSA’s in high schools and colleges, offering them a statewide network of support including mentoring, advocacy and networking opportunities.
The Iowa Pride Network also helps to fight intolerance against LGBT students in by educating both law makers and teachers on issues that LGBT students face. The group also provides advocacy for LGBT students at the state and local levels.
The proclamation has been viewed by many LGBT equality advocates as a small, yet important victory in the struggle for equality as Democrats in Iowa are feeling added pressure from conservatives who want to put the Iowa Supreme Court’s recent ruling in favor of marriage equality up for a vote. Republicans have been using the court’s decision to build their campaign, promising that if elected in 2010, they will allow the public to decide the issue by popular vote. State Democrats however, including Culver, have not backed down under the pressure and continue to support the court’s decision to legalize marriage equality.
This is the fourth year Iowa GSA Day has been observed.
More about the Iowa Pride Network by CLICKING HERE!
Iowa Pride Network from BARK-BARK on Vimeo.
Iowa should be proud and yes, the kids are where the focus is. For the record, they are the ones who will be running this country down the road.More severe penalities for hate crimes and criminal charges against entities who fail to enforce hate crimes. Hate crime is being expanded in my opinion to cover more then the obvious abuse. Hate has proven to come in all forms and include many types of people and entities. As the crime broadens so must the way you deal with them. Being gay or lesbian has been reserved for the tough.Lets face it. Not an easy life to live for most. We’re going to change that so you can be who you are and not have to sacrifice. The constitution allows us no less than anyone else.That is the law.
I wish I had know this while at DisneyWorld. I met some nice Iowans and would have loved to thank them, and watch their faces go flush.