By Denise Booker

Controversy hits Hastings College after a student organization is denied funding for a guest speaker. A group called the Campus Crusades wants to bring in a man to the school who claims he can cure gay people.

Friday night that speech is at a standstill.

The student senate approves funding for campus speakers. It says it will not pay for a presentation like this.

That decision has some of the Campus Crusades fired up. They still have the right to bring the speaker to campus. But without student senate funding they do not have the cash to pay for him.

Mike Haley is a Christian speaker with a Christian perspective on homosexuality.

He has not stepped foot on campus, but he has already caused an uproar here at Hastings College.

"He basically just wants to come and share his life story and how he was involved in homosexuality and coming out of it and he's now married with two kids," said Campus Crusader Daniel Gnagy.

Ashley Phillips is a senior at Hastings College. She says the speech is a bad idea and one that will send the wrong message.

"I think somebody coming in and saying you are diseased, what you are doing is wrong is going to have a negative impact especially on the closeted GLBT individuals," said Phillips.

And Phillips is not alone. 70 percent of students surveyed say the speaker should stay away.

"There were some personal beliefs and ideals that went in to this which go into everything," said Student Association President John Striebel.

"The senate went out, we emailed the entire campus and the senate voted how their constituents wanted them to vote."

The Campus Crusades say they do not mind if they are not in the majority. They have a backup plan.

"We have talked to some churches in town that really want to help us bring Mike on campus so we are in the process right now getting that all lined up," Gnagy said.

The Crusades have already received $200 to pay for the speech, but still need about a thousand more.

The President of Hastings College says if they come up with money they are more than welcome to bring Haley to campus.

The one catch could be finding space. The president says there are a lot of events and space is limited.

Source: NBC Affiliate Hastings TV Channel 5

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The Real ID Act is a law signed by President Bush in May 2005, which, if it is accepted by and carried out by the states, would turn state driver's licenses into a genuine national identity card and impose numerous new burdens on taxpayers, citizens, immigrants, and state governments.

Nebraska, along with 16 other states, has passed a legislative resolution expressing opposition to the federal legislation.

In January, 2008, the Department of Homeland Security released the final rules for implementing the REAL ID act. The National Center for Transgender Equality sites three specific concerns related to transgender people:

• The REAL ID Act requires states to have gender as a mandatory field on driver licenses. The final rules unfortunately do not eliminate that requirement.

• The REAL ID Act could have mandated a preemption of state gender change policies in favor of a federal standard or even federal definition of gender. We are pleased that the new rules would reserve gender definition and gender change rules for the states.

• The REAL ID Act essentially mandates a national database (a network of state databases) that would include personal information that could lead to discrimination and violence against transgender and other people. These new final rules do not address these concerns and we continue to be very concerned about this privacy degradation.

Information from this article was obtained from the National Center for Transgender Equality
(www.nctequality.org) and the ACLU's "Real Nightmare" project (http://www.realnightmare.org/about/2/).

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By Shoshana Sumrall

Last month's Coffee House gathering at the Lincoln Unitarian Church was for me an unforgettable
evening of song and spoken word. The event included not only delicious refreshments and wonderful company, but also drums, flute, and a diverse array of poetry and prose.

One by one, folks stepped to the softly lit mike to deliver individual brands of humor, drama, grief, and personal experience, often accompanied by a sparse and haunting drum pattern. I went to Coffee House not knowing what to expect and ended up staying quite late, not wanting to miss any of the great conversation and wonderful performances.

(eds: Coffee House meets the third Friday of each month for the GLBT community and their allies. The next Coffee House is April 18, 7:30-10:30.)

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by Jody Huckaby
Executive Director, PFLAG National

It is hard to avoid the fact that even this early on, the 2008 race for the White House is in full swing. Television, radio and the Internet are filled with campaign ads, debates and endless commentary from the policy wonks and the pundits. It seems like it's been a long, long time since we've seen so many people this engaged in the discussions about the war, the economy, immigration, health care, the environment, education, and a host of other issues - and the fact that we're talking about what we need as a country is critical.

In the last three weeks, I've spent more days away from Washington than I have at home, and it is clear that PFLAGers are participating in these discussions. With every PFLAG member I speak to, I appreciate the amazing power that PFLAG possesses in every state across the country to influence debates on a number of issues, but of course in the great debate about fairness and equality for our gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) loved ones. It seems like everyone I meet with enthusiastically talks about the need for a change in the direction of our great nation when it comes to these issues.

PFLAGers are known for being active and committed in leading these discussions no matter what political cycle we're in, but they're definitely excited about helping to get out the vote in their own communities. Many have committed to spending significant amounts of time between now and November 4th engaged with their local party leaders to educate them about why GLBT equality must be a part of the national dialogue in addressing the changes necessary in America.

Because of this proud participation, I'm happy to let you know about some great new Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) resources that we just added to our website that you can find at www.pflag.org/gotv2008. You'll find our campaign for this year's PFLAG Votes effort, clearly a tribute to PFLAG parents everywhere. The slogan reads, "Listen to Your Parents (For Once): VOTE!" And behind that slogan are a great set of resources for getting out the vote in your community.

If you're ready to super-charge your GOTV efforts, then sign up for one of our upcoming online GOTV 2008 trainings with our Field & Policy Coordinators. Learn how to get out the vote and stay out of trouble, strategies for getting people energized, and the tools that we have available to help. You can learn about the sessions and how you can sign up for free on our website.

Our PFLAG members are part of both the Republican and Democratic parties, and many identify themselves as Independents, Greens and other less visible parties. What matters most is that each of us makes a commitment to being an active part of the political process this year. As Americans, we are privileged with the opportunity to participate in the democratic process of electing people to represent our interests. All of us must look for the opportunities to voice our opinions and speak out about why GLBT equality matters to our families and to our communities.

Moving GLBT equality forward takes courage, commitment and a willingness to tell your own story. Whether as a parent, family member, straight ally or as GLBT, each of us must be committed to live more openly, to be more "out" as supportive of GLBT equality, and to challenge those running for public office to understand that the principles of freedom must apply to everyone in America.

Together, our collective voices can make the difference in 2008. With your support of PFLAG you can ensure that the national family voice will be strong in helping to move equality forward!

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THINK BEFORE YOU INK!!! Your signature is valuable! Consider those petitions before you sign!

The League of Women Voters of Nebraska encourages its members and the public to be alert when they are asked to sign initiative petitions.

You will be asked to sign a variety of initiative petitions. Some circulators will ask you to sign a petition, "just to get it on the ballot so people can vote on it."

Your signature is valuable. Only sign an initiative petition that you believe belongs on the ballot.

Here are six questions to help you make up your mind about an initiative petition:

Is it complex? Some issues can be decided by a simple yes or no vote, but complex issues may need to be thoroughly examined in a legislative arena.

Is it confusing? Only sign an initiative petition that you understand.

Does it belong in the Constitution? If an initiative amends the Constitution, consider whether the change is fundamental law or can be better addressed through legislation.

What would be the effects if passed? Are there existing laws already in place so that an amendment is unnecessary?

What purpose will it serve?

Who is behind it? You can find out who are the real sponsors and opponents of a petition. Are the major sponsors and supporters Nebraskans? Contribution and expenditure reports are available through the Election Division of the NE Secretary of State's office at (402) 471-2555.

Before you sign, ask to see identification of a signature gatherer. Paid signature gatherers are required to carry a card issued by the Secretary of State. Volunteers have a different card also issued by the Secretary of State. You can request and view the identification of signature gatherers to assure they are legitimate.

Be sure you want a petition issue on the ballot before you sign your name. Think before you ink! And spread the word!

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