Subject: Victory in Kansas
From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 11 May 1995 13:35:19 -0400

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
        Contact: Ben Zimmerman
        Simply Equal at (913) 843-7256 or
        [email-masked]

DOROTHY, YOU CAN COME HOME NOW!
DISCRIMINATION BASED ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION MADE ILLEGAL IN KANSAS TOWN

May 4, 1995...In a three-two vote Tuesday, May 2, the City Commission of 
Lawrence, Kansas voted to add the words "sexual orientation" to the city's 
existing Human Relations Ordinance.

 The decision is being hailed as making Lawrence the only city in the state of 
Kansas to extend protection against discrimination to people based on their 
sexual orientation.

 After two years of effort by Simply Equal, a community coalition that 
spearheaded the campaign for the change, the city has agreed to give lesbians, 
bisexuals, gay men, and heterosexuals legal recourse for discrimination in 
employment, housing and public accommodations.  Last week and this week the 
City Commission listened to hours of testimony from dozens of Lawrence 
citizens on both sides of the issue.

 Proponents of the amendment who spoke before the commission included local 
representatives from several Christian congregations and the Lawrence Jewish 
Community Center.  The opposition, represented mostly by conservative 
Christians, often cited from the Bible.

 One often-repeated allegation was that this amendment will force conservative 
Christian organizations to hire non-heterosexuals.  But this charge is 
unsubstantiated, according to Lawrence Human Relations/ Human Resources 
director Ray Samuel, since the ordinance allows for the exemption of religious 
organizations.

 Lawrence, Kansas will become the second municipality in the state to adopt 
such legislation.  Wichita was the first in the 1970's.  The Wichita 
anti-discrimination legislation was repealed in a referendum vote shortly 
after its installation. The Lawrence amendment may face a similar battle.  
Opponents of the ordinance, including Mayor Bob Moody, support such an action.

 The Rev. Leo Barbee, Jr., a leader of the opposition to Simply Equal, said, 
"We are going to contact the Attorney General, and see if it conflicts with 
the state's sodomy laws." After hearing that civil rights leader Julian Bond 
had given his support to Simply Equal during a January visit to Lawrence for 
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Barbee was quoted in local newspapers as saying 
he would have made sure Bond had not been invited to Lawrence had he known 
about his views.

 The commissioners who voted against the legislation amendment cited reasons 
other than moral opposition the homosexuality as justifications for their 
position.  The recently elected Bonnie Augustine expressed her concern about 
the discrimination against lesbian, bisexual and gay people, but said she 
feels that education, not legislation, is the proper means to end 
discrimination.  Proponents of the amendment feel that adding sexual 
orientation to the Human Relations Ordinance will open avenues for education.  
The City Department of Human Relations/ Human Resources plans to conduct 
seminars to educate the public about the law.

 The coalition does not plan to disband after its victory.  Simply Equal, 
which has created a lively network of human rights activists, intends to 
remain intact and continue the struggle for rights for all people in Lawrence. 
"We are very pleased," said Simply Equal co-chair Ben Zimmerman following the 
vote, "but Simply Equal's work is not done.  There is a lot of misinformation 
out in the community that has to be corrected."

 Preparation against a backlash and a battle at the polls is already underway.