A Letter From The President

Students Made the Difference

 Bob Dorr, PFLAG Omaha

 Posted on April 16, 2006

Along with all the big news in the Nebraska Legislature this year came one mostly overlooked piece of good news—a partial victory for those who seek safety and respect in the schools for all students. Sen. Gwen Howard’s anti-bullying bill received a favorable vote in the Education Committee to get advanced to the full Legislature.

Unfortunately the anti-bullying bill never got debated on the legislative floor. There simply was no time left. The scramble to pass a bill dealing with school district funding and boundary issues in the Omaha area consumed the senators.

This year’s step forward will provide inspiration, Michael Gordon told Omaha PFLAGers at our April meeting. “Next year I think we have a good shot at passing an anti-bullying bill,” said the executive director of Citizens for Equal Protection, which leads the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community’s political activism in Nebraska.

The anti-bullying bill specifically includes sexual orientation and gender identity in the list of classes needing protection from taunting and harassing that can cause some students to drop out of school and others to contemplate suicide.

Past anti-bullying bills haven’t made it out of committee. What made the difference this year?

The difference makers were 30 high school students from Norfolk, Fremont and Omaha who went to the Capitol and lobbied state senators, Michael said.

When the stories about the harmful effects of harassing and taunting came from the lips of the students themselves, the Legislature’s Education Committee members paid attention. Education Committee members voted 6-2 to advance the bill.

Over the next two years, passing an anti-bullying bill “will be a big priority” for CFEP, Michael said. At the end of September, Anti-Bullying Week activities in Nebraska will focus attention on the problem.

CONGRATULATIONS to Troy and Jason Fienhold-Haasis, who were elected grand marshals of this year’s Nebraska Pride Celebration. On June 10, they will lead the twenty-first annual Pride Parade through downtown Omaha. The two have worked incredibly hard over the past several years in leading the small band that puts together the annual Pride Celebration and National Coming Out Day events in Omaha. Troy and Jason were married in Canada last year.

VOLUNTEER NEEDED: We are looking for one more person to be trained for handling Omaha PFLAG’s Telephone Help Line calls. Each volunteer assumes responsibility for one day a week, collecting any voicemail messages left during that day and returning any calls. Training takes two hours. Please call or email me if you think you would be interested. 333-7064; bobcdorr@cox.net

Bob Dorr, president, Omaha PFLAG