Hello Wichita!

What a fantastic day today, August 4th is! Today I clocked out of my job with a company who allows my same-sex husband to be covered under all of the same benefits any Kansas-legally-married couple has the rights to. I got in my car to head home, turned on the radio and the first thing I heard was glorious! National Public Radio had a simple and clear statement at the top of the hour: “Moments ago District Court Judge Vaughn Walker ruled against Proposition 8, which outlawed same-sex marriage.” That was it. They promptly moved on to the next headline, but I don’t even remember anything else I heard on that drive home.

Each step toward equality is another step in this fantastic journey that so many of you have fought hard for by being yourself and changing opinions and stereotypes held by those who don’t identify with the GLBTA minority. Here at Wichita Pride, Inc. we are moving forward by creating a more reliable, experienced, and community driven organization. Our new bylaws that go into effect at the end of this month will be the most solid we’ve ever had. The events we sponsor will be bigger. The communication in Wichita’s GLBTA community will be more abundant and stronger than ever. These things are happening because people like you are asking for them and working with us to make us the Pride organization you need in order to be strong, healthy, and out people.

The work we have left to do here in Wichita, KS is plentiful. Within our own GLBTA community, there is still a lot of progress to be made on everything from education about who each of us really is to the importance of cooperation and not dividing ourselves. It’s imperative for us to tackle these issues head on as a unified community. Our progress here in Wichita, Kansas might not always be as monumental as California’s repeal of Proposition 8, but when we make those big leaps, the blood, sweat, and tears that went into forming those jumps will be from our community’s hard work and it will be quite well earned. Also, I wish to extend condolences on behalf of Wichita Pride, Inc. to the family and friends of Fritz Capone/Jimmie Freeman. Fritz Capone was such an important part of the GLBTA community here in Wichita, KS and someone who shined real pride in every performance.

 Keep moving forward with progress and pride, but never forget the history of where we’ve been or the people who brought us to where we are now.

Albert C. Pearce
President
Wichita Pride, Inc.