A Letter From The President

 Bob Dorr, PFLAG Omaha

 Posted on May 25, 2007

Pedophiles a Phony Issue
The Nebraska Legislature, as most of you know, has rejected a bill introduced by Sen. Ernie Chambers that would have prohibited job discrimination based on sexual orientation. Senators voted 24-15 to kill Legislative Bill 475.

We can rejoice that our brothers and sisters in Iowa this year gained the job protection that Nebraskans were denied. Iowa’s new law makes it illegal to discriminate in employment, public accommodations, credit, housing and education based on a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Nebraska’s killed bill was limited to employment discrimination.

Most discouraging to me was the mention of pedophiles several times during the Nebraska Legislature’s debate. Sen. Tony Fulton of Lincoln questioned whether the bill’s proposed protections would extend to pedophiles wanting to be teachers.

That is a phony issue. No one in his right mind would suggest that pedophiles should receive job protection. Let’s be clear on this: While most child abusers are men, there is no credible research indicating that gay men are more likely than straight men to abuse children.

A July 16, 2002, story in USA Today said: “Although no large-scale national research has been done, several small studies find homosexuals are no more likely than heterosexuals to molest kids, says San Diego psychologist Robert Geffner, editor of The Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, a professional research journal.”

Voting yes to indefinitely postpone LB475 (24): Burling, Carlson, Christensen, Dierks, Engel, Erdman, Fischer, Flood, Friend, Fulton, Gay, Hansen, Harms, Heidemann, Hudkins, Janssen, Karpisek, Langemeier, Louden, Nelson, Pankonin, Pirsch, Stuthman, Wightman. Voting no (15): Aguilar, Ashford, Avery, Chambers, Cornett, Dubas, Howard, Kopplin, Kruse, McGill, Nantkes, Preister, Raikes, Schimek, Synowiecki. Present, not voting (5): Adams, Johnson, Lathrop, Rogert, Wallman. Excused (5): McDonald, Mines, Pahls, Pedersen, White.

During the debate, Sen. Ray Aguilar of Grand Island said what shouldn’t need to be said, that homosexuals and pedophiles are not the same. “If that’s the way you think, that’s bigotry,” he said.

Thanks to all who contacted your state senator.

March With Us
Omaha PFLAG always has a diverse group of proud marchers in the annual Nebraska Pride Parade—families, couples, singles. We hope you will help us carry out that tradition again this year.

The Pride Parade and Festival will be Saturday, June 9. The parade will start at 11 a.m. Come to the lot northeast of 10th and Pacific Streets by 10:30 a.m. to line up. Look for PFLAG’s gray banner. The parade route is the same as last year: north on 10th Street and west on Jackson Street to 15th Street.

Last year, some of us carried helium-filled balloons to hand out to children along the route. That was fun, and we’re suggesting that you bring balloons again this year. Among stores carrying them: Baker’s, Hy-Vee, Wal-Mart, Nobbies, various card shops.

PFLAG also will staff a table containing our literature at the Pride Festival. If you would like to help staff the table for an hour, let me know. The festival will stretch south from Jackson Street along 15th Street.

If you are available during the day on Friday, June 8, please consider reporting to the Pride Festival site to help Pride committee members and other volunteers set up pavilions. Or better yet, email the volunteers coordinator that you will come to help on June 8: Nate@rainbowcelebrations.org

Pride Prom a Success
What a success! A total of 243 Omaha-area young people attended this year’s Pride Prom, up 25 percent from last year. The youths came from 34 Omaha-area high schools. See a full report elsewhere in this newsletter.

A big thank-you goes to PFLAGers Barb and Tom Johnson, lead facilitators of Proud Horizons who led the Pride Prom committee, and to the 12 other adults and youths who made up the committee. Because of them, 243 young men and women enjoyed a special Prom they will not soon forget.

We’ll Pay the Fee
The Omaha PFLAG board has approved using chapter funds to pay the registration fee for up to five members who attend the 2007 PFLAG National Convention. The registration fee is $240 to those who sign up before June 1. The fee increases to $300 after June 1 and to $350 after Sept. 8.

The convention will be Oct. 11-14 at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner in Virginia , just outside Washington , D.C. Staying at the convention hotel will cost $109 per night plus tax. Betty and I have attended several national conventions and have found them energizing and educational. And you meet great folks.

Let me know if you might be interested in attending. For more information, go to: www.pflag.org

Help Line Answerers Needed
Omaha PFLAG needs one or two more Telephone Help Line answerers. Each volunteer is responsible for one day a week, checks a couple of times that day for messages left by voicemail and returns the calls. We get about one call a day on average—fewer than in the past because some messages now come to our email address. We will train volunteers. Let Help Line Coordinator Kathy England know if you are interested. Her phone: 292-1312; email address: england@radiks.net

Scholarship Winners
We are delighted that two young men who will enter college this fall have won scholarships in which PFLAG has a hand.

One is Tue Tran, who has graduated from Creighton Prep and will attend Boston College to pursue a journalism career by majoring in communication and international studies. He won a $1,000 PFLAG regional scholarship, the first from Omaha to win that scholarship.

Tue was born in Vietnam and came over to America at the age of three. He came out to his Creighton Prep classmates in a theology class presentation entitled “Who am I?” He commented about that experience: “It was really relieving and I received tons of support from students and faculty alike. It is very rare for someone to be out at Prep.”

The other is D’Antae Dupree Potter, who graduated from Central High School and will attend the University of Nebraska at Omaha as a business major. He was awarded a $500 Citizens for Equal Protection scholarship. Funds for that scholarship were raised at an April worship service and bowling event that were held in response to the Love Won Out reparative therapy conference in Omaha. PFLAG was among the sponsoring groups that planned and organized the response events. Six PFLAG members were involved in that effort.

Both Tue and D’Antae have attended Proud Horizons, the youth support group for gay-lesbian-bisexual-transgender and ally youths sponsored by Omaha PFLAG.

Bob Dorr,
Omaha PFLAG president