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EQUAL Empowerment Summit: Fomenting Queer Youth Activism
May 15, 2008
by Bradley Osborn
Dozens of people in their teens and 20s came together May 10 in UMKC?s Flarsheim Hall for the EQUAL Empowerment Summit. The daylong event featured workshops designed for students, by students ? lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning and straight ally students. Sponsored by EQUAL (Empowering Queer Activists and Leaders), the Empowerment Summit is just the latest public outreach from the greater Kansas City youth-led GSA (gay-straight alliance) network.
EQUAL members are pioneers, establishing the group in 2007 as the first peer education organization for the LGBTQSA youth community. Since then, EQUAL has convened two empowerment summits, organized and carried out Breaking the Silence and co-sponsored the local Lawrence King vigil, among other endeavors,. Never underestimate the power of queer youth synergy.
The genesis of EQUAL came about as the local Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) chapter was transitioning back to its volunteer-based staffing from a short period when some staff had been paid. To help make up for this, adult advisers Maria Williams and Sarah Finken were keen to form a student-run and student-led organization. EQUAL was born as the local GSA network, and its first event was last year?s Empowerment Summit. The founding co-executive chairs were Rachel Gadd-Nelson, Colin Daniels and Mikey Gonzalez.
A group like EQUAL can maintain a constant presence throughout the metro, while individual GSAs are often in flux due to graduations, changing sponsors and school breaks. Local GSAs have also created independent mini-alliances. For example, Tim Sallee, who replaced Daniels as the third EQUAL co-executive, helped to create an alliance among schools in the North Kansas City District. Intra-district alliances are not uncommon. Once these alliances are established, EQUAL can stitch these groups together into the metro-wide network.
The target audiences for the EQUAL Empowerment Summit are GSAs and their sponsors. Goals for the workshops are to educate and empower students within their GSAs and in their everyday lives. The summit also provides resources and information for teachers. National Education Association (NEA) trainer Angie McGaw presented coursework from the NEA National Training Program on School Safety, Bias, and GLBT Issues to educators.
EQUAL can also be found in the community: Out in Westport, Kansas City Gay Pride, National Coming Out Day, Transgender Day of Remembrance and Ally Week. During the summer, GLSEN KC is sending representatives to Portland, Maine, for a Chapter Summit. EQUAL board members who are also involved with GLSEN will be in attendance.
Shawn Gaylord, national director of chapter organizing for GLSEN, was at Kansas City?s Empowerment Summit. According to David Alonzo, with the Kansas City chapter of GLSEN, talks are underway with Anthony Armstrong, chair of GLSEN Omaha and another attendee, for one or more joint projects between the two Heart of America chapters.
To learn more about EQUAL, join or find out how you can help, contact its leadership team at equalkc@hotmail.com, myspace.com/glsenkc or facebook.com/group.php?gid=2385699927.
EQUAL?s promotional video: youtube.com/user/EQUALKC
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