by BETH GILLESPIE

The Health and Human Services System should make it possible for its workers to become more knowledgeable about gay and lesbian issues.

The issue flared up recently when state officials prevented programs in Lincoln and Omaha that dealt with those topics.

State officials said the programs were in violation of unwritten but widely understood guidelines that the committees were limited to the protected classes in state law, which do not include homosexuals.

In protest, 13 members of a diversity committee in Lincoln quit, as did about 10 members of an HHS committee in Omaha.

The diversity committees had valid reasons for wanting to include gay and lesbian issues in their programs.

The HHS diversity committees' goal is to "treat all people with respect and dignity" and to “foster a culture that invites and values the rich diversity among our employees and the people we serve.”

There’s little doubt that gay and lesbian staffers are working in HHS offices and that the department serves gay and lesbian Nebraskans.

In recent years, gays, lesbians and transgendered people have become increasingly open about their sexual orientation.

One high-profile example is Mary Cheney, daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney, who is pregnant and about to become a parent with her long-term partner, Heather Poe.

Cheney for a time turned down requests for interviews about her lifestyle. However, last year she was interviewed by ABC’s Diane Sawyer about her relationship with her partner, and she appeared on the David Letterman show. She has written an autobiography, "Now It's My Turn."

Mary Cheney said that when she told her father about her sexual orientation, he responded, "You know, look, you're my daughter and I love you and I just want you to be happy."

When President Bush was asked for reaction to Cheney becoming a parent, he said, "Mary Cheney is going to make a fine mom, and she’s going to love this child a lot."

The quotes from Cheney and Bush are indicative of society’s evolving attitudes.

In the not-too-distant past, sexual orientation was seldom a topic for public discussion. Now it's addressed everywhere from the White House to churches to coffeehouses. There's no reason that state offices should be an exception. The guidelines that HHS officials are using for their diversity committees are too restrictive. Gay and lesbian topics should not and cannot be ignored.

Attached File:
PFLAG's Letter To Governor Dave Heineman  (125 KB)

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It is very important to thank our three Republican allies in the Nebraska legislature. Senator Cornett, Senator Aguilar, and Senator Ashford spoke out on the floor for our bill LB 475, and all three voted against Phil Erdman’s amendment to the bill which shot down anti-discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace in this session.

Iowa just passed an anti-discrimination bill for sexual orientation in employment, public accommodation, credit, housing, and education based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The bill was just signed into law by the Iowa governor. Seven republican house members and five republican senate members voted for it.

For Nebraska to have a similar law, we need our Republican allies, too. Iowa took 20 years for this historic happening. Minnesota took 25 years for its civil rights for the GLBT community. So far, Nebraska has been working at this for 14 years, since Nebraska’s statewide GLBT organization Citizens for Equal Protection (CFEP) began its drive to get laws for the community.

A poll taken in 2004 by UNL’s Bureau of Sociological Research showed about 70% of all Nebraskans want employment rights for the GLBT community. In all, 19 states have anti-discrimination laws for the GLBT community.

Send letters, e-mails, or phone calls to the three Republicans who are with us, and thank them for their support. Our letters are important to counteract the letters they will surely get from our opposition.

Senator Ray Aguilar (District 35)
State Capitol P.O. Box 94604
(402) 471-2617 raguilar@leg.ne.gov

Senator Brad Ashford (District 20)
State Capitol P.O. Box 94604
(402) 471-2622 bashford@leg.ne.gov

Senator Abbie Cornett (District 45)
State Capitol P.O. Box 94604
(402) 471-2615 acornett@leg.ne.gov

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In 2007, PFLAG started a new tradition - the PFLAG Cornhusker Scholarship Award. This scholarship will be awarded annually to recognize gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender youth from the Community; to encourage continuing education for self-identified GLBT youth, and to foster a positive image of GLBT people in society.

This year we are fortunate to be able to award two scholarships in the amount of $500 each to two young people who exemplify that positive image by their participation in activities encouraging
diversity and acceptance of everyone.

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Are you passionate about books? Do you enjoy talking about what you read? If so, you may want to consider participating in a book club that could be starting soon.

David Csontos, a staff member of Lee Booksellers in Edgewood has offered to organize and coordinate a small GLBT book club. If there is enough interest, Csontos would organize a general discussion about what people can expect and what their interests are. Books chosen would sometimes be about GLBT people and sometimes not. The basic plan would be to read, then discuss one book each month. Allies are welcome to participate as well.

Said Csontos, "I hope there are GLBT people out there who love books as much as I do." Those interested can email him at david.csontos@yahoo.com

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The third annual Summit on May 12 was another success! The organizers, Tim Hopkins and Michael Gordon, wish to thank everyone who attended, and those who donated their time, effort, and contributions.

We also want to announce that we have reserved the Sapp Riverside facility again for the 4th Summit for Saturday, April 26, 2008. We are encouraging attendees to spend the weekend with us and make arrangements NOW to stay in the lodge, a cabin, or camp site. For more information, call Tim Hopkins, (402) 482-6183 or Michael Gordon, (402) 398- 3027. To make reservations at Mahoney State Park call (402) 944-2523. Thank you so much.

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Are you interested in being part of a gay male writer’s group? I’m talking about a small group of gay men who like to write (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, whatever) and would like to meet occasionally (maybe once a month) to share their writing, talk about writing with other writers, or just enjoy the company of guys with similar interests.

If this sounds interesting to you, let me know and we will try to get a group started. E-mail me at tmcclain123@wmconnect.com. Let me know what time(s) work for you and what your interests are. It could be lots of fun! Note: I live in Lincoln, but everyone is welcome. Maybe we could have groups meeting in Omaha and Lincoln, then getting together occasionally. Lots of possibilities!

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