Daniel Justice won't be seeking a professorship at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln after he graduates from the university.

"I will be a faculty member in two years, but not at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln," said Justice, a graduate student in English at UNL.

Justice said his decision not to teach at UNL might be different if the university offered benefits to employees with same-sex domestic partners. Until then, he said, he would refuse to work for an institution that refuses to reward his contributions because he is a homosexual.

"I don't enjoy feeling like a second-class citizen," Justice said.

On Wednesday, the Association of Students at the University of Nebraska sent a resounding message in support of Justice's plea for equal work benefits. It voted to support same-sex domestic partner benefits for UNL faculty, staff and graduate students.

"I think it will show that UNL stands by its policies of nondiscrimination," said Angela Clements, chairwoman of the student senate's Sexual Orientation Advisory Council. She presented research done by the advisory council to senators.

Clements told senators that 145 educational institutions have created benefits programs for domestic partners since 1993. They include such private schools as Harvard, Princeton, Yale and Stanford universities, and public institutions such as the University of Iowa, State University of New York and University of Minnesota.

Any policy change would require approval by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents.

It would likely take a state or federal change in policy to convince the universitywide Benefits Committee to approve benefits for same-sex partners, said Joseph Rowson, associate to UNL President L. Dennis Smith.

"They've said they would table it pending changes in statewide law," Rowson said.

Source: Lincoln Journal Star: By Kevin Abourezk

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In an open meeting Tuesday, February 15, the First United Methodist Church of Omaha voted to join the nationwide United Methodist organization of Reconciling Congregations. Eighty-five percent of those in attendance voted to join.

The Reconciling Congregation Program is a growing movement of United Methodist individuals, congregations, campus ministries, and other groups which publicly welcome all persons, regardless of sexual orientation.

The First UMC of Omaha is the former church of the Rev. Jimmy Creech.

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The Millennium March on Washington for Equality will be the fourth national march for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights, and promises to be one of the largest and most powerful civil rights demonstrations in recent history. The purpose of the March is to energize and galvanize the GLBT and supportive communities to work for equality at all levels, strengthen the overall movement for equal rights and empower and inspire voters for the 200 elections. The March will be held on April 30th, 2000, on the National Mall. For more information call 202.467.8100, email mmow2000@aol.com or visit the web site at www.mmow.org.

The March will take place during the 2000 National PFLAG Conference, April 28-30.

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Events during the recent Governor's Conference on Violence in the Schools and the apparent lack of response of Superintendent Phil Schoo to a booklet titled, "Just the Facts About Sexual Orientation & Youth: A Primer for Principals, Educators & School Personnel," suggest that gay, lesbian and bisexual youth in the Lincoln schools need not look to Schoo to help make their environment in the schools more inclusive.

According to three participants in the governor's conference, a teacher at a high school in Lincoln told those attending that over a period of 23 years she had witnessed a great deal of violence in the form of hateful language directed at gay and lesbian students and had gay students report physical violence that went unreported officially because of the students' perception that the environment at their schools, including administration and faculty, were not supportive or because they feared rejection by friends and family. She also cited results of a number of studies, only one of which I will mention. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Massachusetts Department of Education reported that 67.7 percent of gay, lesbian and bisexual youth had been threatened/injured with a weapon at school in the past year. The teacher asked whether such violence should not be a part of the conference's consideration.

The panel did not respond, and the moderator was about to go on to the next question, when Kathryn Piller, state school board member, said the planning committee had decided not to discuss hate language at the conference. The moderator moved on to the next question. The final question of the afternoon came from Thomas Christie, multicultural administrator of the Lincoln Public Schools. He asked why anti-gay violence or the role of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic class had not been addressed. Piller said there was no reason.

I recently looked at the School Safety/Security Recommendations that the state school board recently voted to have written into the accreditation rules for the schools. A section reads: "2. Inclusive atmosphere (example: race, ethnicity, culture, religion, ability, socioeconomic status)." There is no mention of sexual orientation. Piller was chairwoman of the task force that developed the recommendations.

The Just the Facts booklet mentioned above is truly historic. It is endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Counseling Association, American Association of School Administrators, American Federation of Teachers, American Psychological Association, American School Health Association, Interfaith Alliance Foundation, National Association of School Psychologists, National Association of Social Workers and National Educational Association. The booklet was sent to all school superintendents in the United States. Superintendent Schoo should have received this booklet shortly after Nov. 23.

About seven weeks later I spoke with the teacher who had been ignored at the governor's conference and to two other teachers who, along with the first teacher, sponsor the Gay-Straight Alliance at their high school. I also spoke to a number of student members of the alliance. None of them had heard of the booklet. They later talked with others in the schools, and none of them either had heard of the booklet. My wife told a school board member whom she knows of the booklet on Jan. 15, and she asked my wife for a copy. Apparently Schoo intends to ignore it.

The booklet makes a number of very important points. It explains that sexual orientation is a natural component of personality and that "professional associations representing more than 477,000 health and mental health professionals have all taken the position that homosexuality is not a mental disorder" and that no "cure" is needed. It describes all of the positions of the associations. It points out that the view of Transformational Ministry (use of religion to eliminate homosexual desires) "is not representative of all people of faith. Many deeply religious people and a number of congregations and denominations are supportive and accepting of gay, lesbian and bisexual people and their right to be protected from" discrimination. Twenty-three religious organizations and denominations are listed. Finally, it points out that "endorsement or promotion" of transformational ministry "by ... employees of a public school ... in a school-related context could raise constitutional" issues. It also points out that legally schools "must protect students from anti-gay harassment."

The local school board could do two things that could greatly help to make the environment of the schools more inclusive for gay, lesbian and bisexual youth. First, it could direct Superintendent Schoo to copy and share the booklet with his administrative staff, all principals, school psychologists, counselors, nurses and faculty. Second, it could add the words sexual orientation to its equity statement, which recognizes the worth and dignity of all human beings but which fails to include sexual orientation in a list of things that will not be permitted to prevent such recognition. is professor emeritus of sociology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is the author of the book "Group Processes and Structures," published in 1997, and a member of Parents, Families and Friends of Gays and Lesbians.

James C. Kimberly is professor emeritus of sociology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is the author of the book "Group Processes and Structures," published in 1997, and a member of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.

Source: Lincoln Journal Star Editorial by James C. Kimberly, February 14, 2000

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