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KENTUCKY EQUALITY FEDERATION TARGETS KENTUCKY MIDDLE SCHOOLS, HIGH SCHOOLS, COLLEGES, AND UNIVERSITIES FOR OUTREACH
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Kentucky Equality Federation today
announced additional outreach programs to
target 'tomorrow's leaders.'
"In order to bring
equality to our Commonwealth we must continue
to recognize that people in middle school, high
school, colleges, and universities will be
instrumental to our success. In 2005, a young
man names Nick Herweck became involved in
Kentucky Equality Federation; he was 16 years
old. Kentucky Equality Federation assisted him
in setting up a gay-straight alliance at Boone
County High School by threatening to sue school
administration who had been successfully
blocking its creation," stated Kentucky
Equality Federation President Jordan
Palmer."Today, Mr. Herweck is our Northern
Kentucky Regional Coordinator, and sits on our
Board of Directors."
Kentucky Equality Federation's Outreach
Directors will focus on educating the public
about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and
intersex (LGBTI) issues within specific
communities – providing information and sharing
our message in specific ways, as well as
contributing information regarding each
community to our statewide organization.
Outreach Directors will also reach out to
members of the LGBTI community that too often
have not been included, either in positions of
leadership or in public education.
With candidates for additional outreach
directors to target other communities still
under review, Palmer appointed the following
people to target the Commonwealth’s future
leaders:
- William Anderson, University Outreach Director: Mr. Anderson is currently a student at the University of Kentucky pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Vocal Performance. He is very active in the music and theatre world, and played several leading roles in operas and musicals.
- Tara
Morrison, Youth Outreach
Director: A teenager herself, Ms.
Morrison is passionate about giving Kentucky's
LGBTI teenagers a voice in their community.
Though she graduated high school in 2008, she
is determined to see current and future
students have a voice in their own communities,
as well as support from their local school
officials. While in high school, Ms. Morrison
attempted to start a gay-straight alliance, but
no teacher would sponsor the group.
Students and people across the Commonwealth already have the ability to report discrimination and school bullying to Kentucky Equality Federation from its online website, www.kyequality.org.
To launch its new outreach programs, Kentucky Equality Federation has taken the initial steps of ordering business cards, brochures, and pamphlets; in addition to setting up special groups for each outreach director to facilitate communication, cooperation, and support between the Commonwealth's students and educational institutions.
Palmer also noted that reaching out to specific communities was necessary and critical in order to overturn Kentucky's same-sex marriage ban. In a recent interview with change.org for Marriage Equality USA, Palmer stated, "No amount of money can replace volunteering, grassroots organizing, and the perseverance of an all - volunteer organization."
For addition information, visit the Community Outreach section of Kentucky Equality Federation's Equality Center at www.kyLGBT.org.
