Supporters pack courthouse as Douglas County Commission proclaims LGBTQ+ Pride Month, Gun Violence Awareness Day
Originally published in the Lawrence Journal-World:
Brandon Eisman described himself as a cisgender male, a father and an active member of the community — but at the Douglas County Commission’s meeting Wednesday, he spoke as Deja Brooks, his drag persona.
At the meeting, the commission proclaimed June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month for the first time.
Brooks told more than 100 community members who packed the Douglas County Courthouse that when people think of pride, they often think of parades, rainbows and drag queens performing to Cher.
“But pride gatherings are more than bright colors and good times,” Brooks said. “They are rooted in a difficult and tiring history, and minority groups who have struggled for decades to overcome prejudice and be accepted for who they are.”
Brooks spoke about what came to be known as the Stonewall Riots of 1969 in New York City, which in large part sparked the modern lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights movement.
“We are here to celebrate the achievements and outstanding service that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and allies make to our city, state and nation,” Brooks said — and that wouldn’t be possible without those who had paved the way.
Brooks encouraged those in attendance to think about what pride means to them and how they can celebrate it.
“Take the time to honor equality and love with your family, friends, neighbors, community members and leaders,” Brooks said. “I also want you to consider how you can promote diversity and educate those around you throughout the coming years about the history of gay rights, including attending rallies, writing letters, calling state politicians and voting.”
Brooks also listed some upcoming pride events. Among them is I Heart Local Music’s Pride Parade, starting at 4 p.m. Saturday on the sidewalk in front of Ladybird Diner, 721 Massachusetts St. It will march south to a free, all-ages celebration at The Granada Theater, 1020 Massachusetts St.
Deja’s Reading Rainbow, part of Brooks’ regular events for kids, will celebrate Pride Month from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, June 23 at the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vermont St., with a “storytime that embraces our local LGBTQ+ community and celebrates families of all kinds,” Brooks said.
“As you leave tonight, remember that our community is a family of many minds — trans, cisgender, gender-queer, straight, nonbinary and undecided individuals that are all united by our differences and strengthened by our love,” Brooks said.
National Gun Violence Awareness Day
Another large group of orange-clad supporters in the audience stood by as Spencer Yost-Wolff, a recent graduate of Free State High School, spoke in support of the commission’s second proclamation: June 7, 2019, as National Gun Violence Awareness Day.
Yost-Wolff said that about 100 Americans become victims of gun violence every day, and he discussed school shooting drills.
“It’s sort of shifted to almost an everyday state of living for the people of our community, and especially our students,” Yost-Wolff said. “And that seems rather ridiculous to me, that it should become a regular, everyday occurrence,”
He said that was why he’s working with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. The local chapter is asking people to wear orange on Friday and Saturday to show support for those whose lives have been touched by gun violence.
The group also invites the public to its event starting at 10 a.m. Saturday at South Park, 12th and Massachusetts streets. They’ll be tying orange ribbons to symbolize the 100 daily victims of gun violence, and “to try to show some good-faith organizing for the people in our community whose lives have been touched or lost from this incredibly problematic epidemic.”
