A Letter From The President

 Bob Dorr, PFLAG Omaha

 Posted on January 24, 2005

Nationally, PFLAG has joined in the celebration of Freedom to Marry Week, which begins Feb. 12.

In Nebraska, we have a special interest in Freedom to Marry, and the Rev. Nancy Brink of North Side Christian Church will come to Omaha PFLAG’s Feb. 10 meeting to talk about her committed relationship.

Nancy and her partner, Maria Perez, are among the Nebraska same-sex couples who are trying to overturn the state’s discrimination in barring all forms of close same-sex relationships.

In 2000, Nebraska voters approved Initiative 416, which prohibits same-sex marriages, civil unions and domestic partnerships. Voters Initiative 416 became Amendment 29 in the Nebraska Constitution.

The court challenge to the amendment rests on the far-reaching nature of Amendment 29. Because every type of committed same-sex relationship is legally invalid in Nebraska, same-sex couples are stripped of their right to use normal political processes in seeking changes in laws that would improve their lives, said lawyers for Citizens for Equal Protection, ACLU Nebraska and Nebraska Advocates for Justice and Equality.

For example, the Nebraska Attorney General’s office advised a state senator who wanted to make committed same-sex couples eligible for certain funeral rights that the bill, if passed, would violate Amendment 29.

A court decision is expected soon. Let’s hope we get a favorable ruling that throws Nebraska’s Amendment 29 into the trash can of history.

PFLAG’s Feb. 10 meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at Mead Hall at the west end of First United Methodist Church, 7020 Cass St. As usual, socializing will begin at 6:30 p.m., support time at 7 p.m. and the program at 8 p.m.

Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry, calls the battle to win same-sex marriage a matter of justice.

“From decades of experience, we as LGBT people and allies know that when Americans participate in a discussion about justice, they act to defeat it,” Wolfson said. “That is why we intend to bring marriage equality forward one person, one household, one neighborhood, one town, one state and—in the end—one nation, at a time.”

At our January meeting, the executive director of Citizens for Equal Protection told PFLAG members that CFEP will put strong emphasis this year on winning passage of anti-bullying legislation. The bill in the Nebraska Legislature would protect gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students, among others, Michael Gordon said. The bill is being introduced by State Sen. Gwen Howard of Omaha.

As Omaha PFLAG members, we must do all that we can do to support that bill, including phoning and writing our state senators.

Bob Dorr, president