Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 01:55:31 -0600 (CST) From: LesBiGay Services of Kansas As you may already know, LesBiGayS OK is planning a large celebration of LesBiGay Awareness Week for April 2 - 8, 1995. As a member of the awareness week committee, I suggested we approach the Lawrence City Commission and have them issue a proclamation for LesBiGay Awareness Week, and in particular the Annual Pride March and Community Picnic on Saturday, April 8. The march is an annual event, we've been doing it for years, and we always get a large turnout from a variety of groups. In addition, our group used to get such a proclamation issued every year until a couple of years ago, so I thought it wouldn't be a problem. After receiving the approval to do so from our organization's director as well as the awareness week chair, I spoke with Mayor Jo Andersen about the possibility of having the city issue such a proclamation. She felt that since the march was an annual event that had been taking place for some time. She asked that I send her a suggested draft of the wording of the proclamation and that it would be approved at this week's meeting and issued officially at next week's meeting. I faxed a copy of the proclamation draft to City Hall. Well, I got a call from City Hall on Thursday morning. I was told that the commissioners had decided against issuing the proclamation and that if I had any questions I should call Mayor Andersen, which I did immediately. She said that every week they look over the requests they've received for proclamations and decide on whether to issue them. So the other night, Mayor Andersen was in favor of issuing the proclamation but the other commissioners felt that proclamations aren't supposed to be controversial, that issuing it would be seen as expressing support for the Simply Equal ordinance change and that it would cause public outcry from Simply Equal's opponents. This is very disturbing, partially because it demonstrates a great lack of understanding on the part of our city commission if they cannot understand that not everything having to do with sexual orientation in Lawrence is some sort of Simply Equal campaigning and partially because the draft was worded very carefully to avoid mentioning the issue in even a roundabout way. I asked if they read the draft and Mayor Andersen said there wasn't a copy of it in their packets. So they decided they against us without even having read the wording of the proposed proclamation. The commission routinely issues proclamations praising dozens of other types of student organizations for their accomplishments. Our organization is entering its 25th year of existence and provides support, peer counseling, and speakers bureau services to not only the campus but the entire city year-round. And we're bringing several well-respected and nationally recognized figures to our city as part of this LesBiGay Awareness Week celebration. This refusal to recognize our efforts without even reading what we're asking them to say is a complete slap in the face to our organization as well as all lesbian, gay, and bisexual people in the city of Lawrence. The following is the text of the suggested proclamation which I sent to City Hall: WHEREAS: Lesbian, Bisexual, and Gay Services of Kansas, a student organization which works to provide education, support, counseling, and other services to the University of Kansas campus and the Lawrence community, is entering its twenty-fifth year of existence; and WHEREAS: On Sunday, April 2 through Saturday, April 8, 1995 that group will be presenting its annual celebration of LesBiGay Awareness Week in the city of Lawrence; and WHEREAS: Such noteworthy figures as Olympic diving gold medalist and author Greg Louganis, author and journalist Michelangelo Signorile, author and activist Lani Ka'ahumanu, activists and educators Brenda and Wanda Henson, and anti-discrimination specialist Tim Wise will be visiting our city to speak as part of this celebration; and WHEREAS: The annual LesBiGay Awareness Week Pride March and Community Picnic will be held in downtown Lawrence at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 8, 1995; and WHEREAS: LesBiGay Services of Kansas invites people from all walks of life in Lawrence to participate in the activities provided this week to educate ourselves and celebrate the rich diversity of our community. NOW, THEREFORE, I, Jolene F. Andersen, Mayor of the City of Lawrence, Kansas, do hereby proclaim the week of April 2 through 8, 1995 as LesBiGay Awareness Week and April 8 as the designated day for our local celebration of the annual LesBiGay Awareness Week Pride March and Community Picnic in the City of Lawrence. At the next Lawrence City Commission meeting, to be held on Tuesday, March 28 at 6:35 p.m. at City Hall, 6th & Massachusetts Street, I plan to step forward during the portion of the meeting designated for comments from the public and express our displeasure with this action by the city commission. We would appreciate those who are able to attend to do so, or at least try to watch it on Lawrence Cable 6 (which broadcasts the commission meetings live). I also plan to invite the entire commission to attend the Pride March and Community Picnic, which will be held on Saturday, April 8, 1995 at 11:00 a.m. beginning at City Hall and ending at South Park. Sincerely, Chris Hampton LesBiGayS OK Email Coordinator, Publicity Chair, and Social Chair ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ Lesbian, Bisexual, and Gay Services of Kansas ~ ~ The University of Kansas ~ ~ Director: Eric O. Moore * Email Coordinator: Chris Hampton ~ ~ lbgsok@ukanaix.cc.ukans.edu ~ ~ 400 Kansas Union Box 13 * Lawrence, KS 66045 * (913) 864-3091 ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ____ "Every act of visibility is an act of resistance." ~ \ / - Suzanne Pharr ~ \/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~