Kansas Senate Panel Advances Rights Bill

Yesterday, a Kansas state Senate panel endorsed a bill that would prohibit discrimination in housing and employment based on sexual orientation or gender identity, adding to the existing law that prohibits discrimination based on race, religious, color, sex disability, national origin or ancestry.

The Chairman of the Kansas Equality Coalition, Tom Witt, states this is an issue fairness. Witt’s group has been proposing the bill since 2005, and the bill has been up for Senate review in the past, but this is the first time it’s been endorsed and moved forward for further debate.

Could America’s heartland, with it’s strong anti-gay Evangelical base be progressing in equality?  We can only hope!

Yes Dorothy, We Really Are Still in Anti-Gay Kansas

A Senate committee panel in Kansas is considering a measure that would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity but say they won’t revisit the bill unless they have enough votes from the panel to send it to the Senate.

Two years ago, a similar bill was considered, but never made it out committee. However, since then, panel’s membership has changed.

Although there are some supporters, the Republicans and Religious Right have been protesting in full force.

Judy Smith, who is the state’s director of Concerned Women for America, and anti-gay coalition stated;

“This bill places sexual orientation and self-perceived gender identity not as a protected class but as a privileged group.”

She also added;

“Chosen behavior” should not be used as a basis for changing laws.

Committee member, Sen. Dennis Pyle – (R), asked whether the bill would protect bestiality.

And yet the those on the “Right” claim they don’t spew hate, intolerance or bigotry…perhaps only ignorance?  If they only had a brain!

Kansas Governor to Address GLBT Democrats

A gay Democratic group mapping strategies to influence the Democratic National Convention will hear from a politician known for securing gay rights in solid GOP country.

Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius plans to address the Stonewall Democrats in Denver on Saturday. Last year, the Democratic governor signed an executive order adding sexual orientation to state nondiscrimination policies.

Stonewall Democrats say federal nondiscrimination laws should be a top priority for Democrats this year. They concede their party is unlikely to talk much about gay marriage during the presidential campaign. Nominee-in-waiting Barack Obama has said he supports civil unions but not gay marriage.

Read more at kwch.com.

Victory Fund Claiming Gay-Baiting in Kansas

A lesbian Democrat’s loss in a Kansas primary election that followed alleged gay-baiting tactics has triggered a flurry of finger-pointing among those involved.

The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund has said Inga Taylor lost the Aug. 5 primary for a state House seat because her opponent, Gail Finney, launched “a last minute, anti-gay smear campaign” against the lesbian candidate.

But Thomas Witt, chair of the Kansas Equality Coalition, a statewide gay activist group, said the Victory Fund is making inaccurate accusations against Finney to cover its own mistakes in the campaign.

Witt, who was initially involved with Taylor’s campaign, has called on the Victory Fund to apologize.

Read more at washingtonblade.com.