Young and Looking for Things to Do? Check These Out.

Young and Looking for Things to Do? Check These Out.
April 30, 2009
by Bradley Osborn

If you’re an LGBT or allied youth or young adult in the Kansas City area, finding something to do with your peers can be a challenge. As the school year ends, the search gets even more difficult. Here are a few examples of groups that can help:

EQUAL

Empowering Queer Activists and Leaders (EQUAL) is a Kansas City area gay-straight alliance (GSA) network. It was founded by youth and is maintained by young people. The group sponsors several events each year, most recently the Day of Silence/Breaking the Silence activities on April 17.

This year’s Day of Silence was especially poignant because of the April deaths of two 11-year-olds who were bullied to the point of suicide with anti-gay epithets. Jaheem Herrera, of DeKalb County, Ga., died April 16, and Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, of Springfield, Mass., died April 6. In March, the parents of Eric Mohat of Mentor, Ohio, filed suit against his high school. Eric killed himself in 2007 after enduring months of anti-gay harassment, they said. Schools take note: This is why the young people are keeping silent in your classrooms and hallways one day each year.

After a full school day of tacit activism, young people gathered at the Nichols Fountain in Mill Creek Park for a Breaking the Silence rally. Celebratory whoops, pro-equality signage and supportive automobile honks were everywhere.

The scene then shifted to the basement of Spirit of Hope Church, where entertainers took the stage. Playwright Andi Enns presented a truncated version of her play, Hot Fries. Joining her in performance were director and actor Zachary Weaver and actors Ellen Pajor, Conner McArthur and Justin Vacca.

Widow Von Du did an amazing job interpreting several numbers through drag, bringing even more excitement to the post-rally activities. Some impromptu performances were peppered throughout the night, and the whole thing devolved into a spontaneous dance party under the direction of DJ Sarah Withee. Outstanding fun.

Rachel Gadd-Nelson helped coordinate many of the day’s events, and Wick Thomas served as emcee that evening.

Rock for Equality

What do you do when a right-wing homophobe comes to town to raise money for an anti-gay group? If you’re Matt Davis, you stage a counter-fundraiser where all are welcome. One day after the Day of Silence, Davis’ concert/fundraiser took place on the grounds of Santa Fe Commons, Overland Park, Kan., with The Trevor Project, Human Rights Campaign and the Kansas Equality Commission as beneficiaries. Says Davis:

“I have always felt, since I came out of the closet, that I wanted to do some things to help out the LGBT community and increase LGBT visibility in the Johnson County area. I had a particularly difficult time coming out. I think it’s hard for kids in JoCo (especially in Olathe) because there is an unfortunate homophobic environment that is created in the public school system that isn’t often addressed because of the conservative political ties of the community.

After hearing about the Wichita School District adding sexual orientation to its non-discrimination policy after encouragement from a group called Students United, I decided I would try to work to see positive changes happen in my community, as well. I organized a petition of people who wanted to see the Olathe School District (my alma mater) add sexual orientation as well as gender identity to its non-discrimination policy. We collected hundreds of names, and then marched to the school district to deliver them, ending up on several different news stations along the way. While we didn’t see a change in policy that day, we had a good conversation with the superintendent. Since then, I have wanted to keep that momentum going, and the concert was birthed out of this.”

Emma Jo and the Poets Down Here performed at the concert, which was meant to counter a nearby Kansas Family Policy Council fundraiser that featured the Family Research Council’s president, Tony Perkins.

Davis said he was surprised by some people’s reactions to the concert.

“A man … came over in a motorized wheelchair from a nearby retirement home. I ignorantly thought that he wasn’t going to be supportive of us once he found out what we were doing. However, he was incredibly gracious, he even made a donation to the Human Rights Campaign. Another was a middle-aged woman who told me that she thanks God everyday for people like us, because we recognize that all people deserve to be loved equally. These people helped open up my eyes to my own prejudices. I often assume that people from the conservative Johnson County are all a little homophobic, but more and more people are breaking that mold. The winds in Kansas are definitely changing, and they are blowing towards a new day where all are free to love and be loved.

We are planning a Rock for Equality 2 next year. Hopefully it will be an even bigger event. I’ll keep you posted!”

Davis is starting a group called the Johnson County Equality Project to continue the momentum, hoping one day to branch out as a Johnson County-specific, nonprofit LGBT rights organization. Look for a link to its Facebook group at campkc.com.

KC Young Pride

A new group of young adults is holding its inaugural event at 6:30 p.m. May 9 at Sharp’s 63rd Street Grill in Brookside. If you’re LGBT or allied, 21 to early 30s, and looking for something to do, be sure to attend the KC Young Pride dinner event.

KC Young Pride co-founder, Marie DiMenna, shared her reasons for starting the group:

“I am a Masters of Social Work student at KU. Last semester I was completing a paper on bisexuality. I searched the Web for an LGBT group event I could attend in order to interview some members for my paper. When I saw what type of LGBT organizations were available in the Kansas City area, I noticed that although there was a social group for those 35 and older, there were not any groups for young adults (adults in their 20s and early 30s). I attended a few Mature Pride events, at first for my paper, and then later because I enjoyed going to the events. I spoke to the Mature Pride members about starting a similar group for young adults. They thought this was a good idea, and also teased me, saying I should call the group Immature Pride. A few years ago I was a part of a young adult group for Catholics in the Kansas City area. I saw how much this group had fun with one another and wanted a group for the gay community to be able to bond in a similar way.”

The goals of the organizers of KC Young Pride, says cofounder Brian M. Potter, are to create a social-networking group and to have fun, doing things like camping/hiking, movie nights, dinner nights, game nights, barbecues, picnics, supporting the arts in KC and patronizing local LGBT/LGBT-welcoming businesses. Once the group gets going, new members will give input for future activities as alternatives to the bar scene.

If you can’t make it to the May 9 event, check out and join the KC Young Pride group on Facebook and look for members at Kansas City Gay Pride in June.

Youth and Young Adult Links

A non-comprehensive list of LGBTA youth and young adult resources and groups - including those mentioned above - that have social and civic events within a 60-mile radius of Kansas City.

Groups Mentioned In Article

Empowering Queer Activists and Leaders (EQUAL)

Johnson County Equality Project Facebook group

Johnson County Equality Project Johnson County Equality Project blog

KC Young Pride Facebook group