by Kathy Jessup, kjessup@kalamazoogazette.com, 269.388.8590
KALAMAZOO- The city of Kalamazoo has stepped beyond existing state and federal law, making it illegal to use sexual orientation to discriminate in housing, public accommodations and employment.
The Kalamazoo City Commission voted 7-0 Monday night to adopt an expanded anti-discrimination ordinance that makes it a municipal civil infraction to discriminate against gays, lesbians and transgender citizens.
The concept was brought to city leaders by the Kalamazoo Alliance for Equality and was modified by City Attorney Clyde Robinson to pattern similar language adopted by Ann Arbor and 15 other Michigan cities.
During public comment Monday night, commissioners heard only support for the measure, including a letter of backing from the city’s Community Relations Board.
Terry Kuseske, a KAFE spokesman and chairman of the Kalamazoo Planning Commission, called the action “a bold move whose time has come.”
Under terms of the 10-page city ordinance, sexual orientation is added to a list that includes race, religion, ethnic background, gender, marital status and physical characteristics which may not be used to disqualify people from housing, public accommodations or employment.
In addition, contractors seeking to do business with the city must now show proof that they have a policy prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
The ordinance does include some exemptions, notably for churches and for people seeking to rent out part of the residence in which they are living.
Kalamazoo City Manager Kenneth Collard is charged with investigating allegations of discrimination. Violations are municipal civil infractions that carry a fine of not more than $500, plus costs.
The new ordinance language goes into effect Dec. 11.
Gays, Lesbians, Transgender, Their Families and Supporters
Unite – Large Scale National Protest Planned For November 15th
Over the last several days, tens of thousands of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and their supporters have taken to the streets of California to show their outrage with the passage of CA
Proposition 8. Prop 8 provides for a Constitutional Amendment to prohibit same-sex marriage
rights. Similar amendments and propositions have been passed in AZ and FL.
The passage of these propositions has angered the gay community and their supporters. Many
feel as if they are now second-class citizens in a country that has seen that change can happen
with this historical election. They do not feel that a majority should be able to vote on minorities’
rights or vote to take anyone’s rights away.
On Saturday, November 15, 2023 Kalamazoo will again take to the streets in what could be
the largest organized Protest / Movement since the Civil Rights Movement. To date, more than
250,000 individuals have pledged to take part in the nationwide event, in which they will descend
upon the City Halls, State Capitols and the Nation’s Capitol to make their voice heard. Signs,
posters and numerous websites have already been created and the word is spreading quickly
throughout the nation. Jointheimpact.com lists protest locations in all 50 States and the District of
Columbia.
The message is simple, yet loud; Equal Rights for All. Signs seen at the many protests that have
already taken place in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Chicago and Salt Lake City read:
“No More Mr. Nice Gay – Equal rights for all people”, “Fight the H8”, “Teach Acceptance – Not
Hate”, “I am now a 2nd class citizen”, “I am a victim of H8” to name a few. The organizers of this
nationwide event have stressed that it, like the protests that have taken place over the last week;
will also be peaceful demonstrations. “The time has come here in America for all people to be
afforded equal rights, and we will not stop until everyone receives Equal Rights.”
The Protest / Movement is scheduled to take place across the nation at the same time: 1:30 PM
Eastern, 12:30 PM Central, 11:30 AM Mountain and 10:30 AM Pacific on Saturday, November
15th, 2008. Those interested in attending this historical event may find their local protest location
by visiting: http://jointheimpact.wetpaint.com
The Kalamazoo protest will be held in front of the Federal Building on the corner of West Michigan & Park Street at 1:30pm. Protesters are encouraged to make signs and flyers but please ensure that any sign handles do not exceed 1/4″ in diameter. Please also remember that this is to be a PEACEFUL protest.
For more information you may contact Melissa Beck @ 269.547.7710
The Resource Center will be holding its annual meeting of the membership on Thursday, November 13th @ 5:30pm in the upper conference room of the CARES building (629 Pioneer Street).
During this meeting, members of the Resource Center will have the opportunity to vote for new members of the board of directors. You are a member of the Resource Center if you have donated or volunteered in 2008.
Following the meeting of membership will be a regular board meeting during which new board members will be officially welcomed as officers of the Kalamazoo Gay Lesbian Resource Center and general business matters will be discussed.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact us by emailing contact@kglrc.org or calling 269.349.4234.
Although the Resource Center can not and does not endorse any specific candidates, there are a number of resources where you can learn about the candidates and where they stand on issues important to you, your friends and families.
Between The Lines Voter Guide: we have a few hard copies left here at the office or you can visit www.PrideSourceVotes.com
League of Women Voters Kalamazoo: the voter guide is available at their website
If you need to use a computer to access these resources, please visit our CyberCenter 9am-5pm Monday & 9am-12pm Tuesday. The office manager will be voting after lunch at 1pm and will return to the office after voting…who knows what time…give us a call if you plan on stopping in after 1pm on Tuesday.
Don’t know where to vote? If you live in Kalamazoo, you can find voter information at the website of the City Clerk, just click here.
If you live in Kalamazoo County, click here for precinct and polling locations.
Need a ride to the polls?
Both the Kalamazoo County Democratic & Republican Parties will be providing rides on election day, please call today to sign up!
Kal County Democratic Headquarters: 269.342.4217
Kal County Republican Headquarters: 269.330.4051
If you are a student at Kalamazoo College and are registered to vote at the Douglas Community Center, the college will be providing a shuttle service from 9am-7pm. The shuttle will be located in the parking lot of the Upper Fine Arts building.
The Kalamazoo Gay Lesbian Resource Center announces the grand opening of the David Bohnett CyberCenter. A dedication and open house, scheduled for Friday, October 10 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., will provide the community with the opportunity to tour the facility. Light refreshments will be provided.
The CyberCenter is located within the Resource Center at 629 Pioneer Street and is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Center features three computers, a scanner, a color laser printer, and wireless Internet. Available software includes Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe PageMaker. The Resource Center plans to offer basic computer classes beginning spring of 2009; topics will be selected based on the needs of CyberCenter users.
The CyberCenter has been made possible by a generous grant from the David Bohnett Foundation of Beverly Hills, California. The mission of the Foundation is to improve society through social activism, and it pursues this mission in part through “funding state-of-the-art technology and technical support to innovative organizations and institutions that… share [the Foundation’s] vision.”
Currently forty-five CyberCenters have been installed across the country, with only two in Michigan. David Bohnett’s vision is to “provide the local lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community access to computers and the Internet in order to encourage self-expression and individual development.”
5:00pm @ First Presbyterian Church (321 West South Street)
FREE concert!
Information will be provided on a variety of issues that effect LBGTA youth in our community. Come for a little while or stay for the whole event, you’re guaranteed a good time.
Drinks provided by Jones Soda.
T-shirts will be sold for $10.
Bands playing are:
Fall of Failsafe
The Red Seas
The Advent
Speakers: Kinetic Affect & Jacalyn Paulding
Special Thanks to the Kalamazoo Community Foundation’s GLBT Equality Fund & the Kalamazoo Gay Lesbian Resource Center for the funds to make this event possible!
Westboro Baptist Church (Topeka, Kansas) has announced that they intend to come to Kalamazoo to protest the Kalamazoo Central High School’s production of The Laramie Project. Westboro Baptist is classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center and is regularly monitored by the Anti-Defamation League. It promotes a theology rooted in discrimination, fear and hate and is well-known for picketing funerals, including the funeral of Matthew Shepard who in 1998 was brutally attacked and murdered in Laramie, Wyoming. The Laramie Project tells the story of this senseless murder and how the community of Laramie responded to it.
A long list of community groups have come together to counter Westboro’s attempts at promoting hate in our community and have formed the Stop The Hate In Kalamazoo Coalition: Project Light, The Kalamazoo Gay Lesbian Resource Center, The LBGT Student Services Office of Western Michigan University, CARES, Unity of Kalamazoo, Planned Parenthood, Great Lakes PEaceJam, OutSpoken, Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), Michigan Equality, The Triangle Foundation & The Kalamazoo Alliance for Equality.
The Stop The Hate In Kalamazoo Coalition is asking the community to show their support of the students, faculty and administration of Kalamazoo Central High School and their willingness to take on such a challenging production. Westboro has a history of announcing that they intend to come to a community and protest in an attempt to stir up rage and hate in that community and then they do not actually show up since their job of filling a community with hate has already been done. In an effort to create our own response of unity, we are asking that community members do NOT engage in counter demonstrations but instead participate in the following productive and powerful opportunities:
Donations will go to Kalamazoo Central High School’s Theater Department, Kalamazoo Central High School’s Gay Straight Alliance and Kalamazoo Gay Lesbian Resource Center’s Youth Group.
Mark Your Calendars for Pro-GSA Youth Rally on Saturday, March 8-More Information To Be Announced:
Details are still being worked out for a youth rally scheduled for Saturday, March 8. The rally will feature local bands and speakers. This event will be a celebration of diversity filled with music, camaraderie and talks about inclusion, social justice & how to start a Gay Straight Alliance at your school. As more information becomes available, please check back at www.kglrc.org/news
