University of Missouri-Kansas City Created Scholarship for Gay Students

All too often young LGBT individuals continue to find themselves disowned by family and cut off from financial resources as they seek to further their education and enroll in college.  I have personal friends who suffered this sad fate and this reality is part of what motivated me to provide the initial endowment for the George D. and Marion Phelps Hamar/HRBOR scholarship nearly 2 years ago to aid LGBT students in financial need.  Apparently, the University of Missouri-Kansas City seemingly recognized the unique needs of LGBT applicants who have been cast out by "godly Christian" parents and left to their own devices for financing their education.   The result is a scholarship at that university.  Here are highlights via the Kansas City Star:

For all the increasing public acceptance of same-sex marriage (in Washington and elsewhere), for all the backlash against antigay bullying, for all the popularity of a TV show like “Modern Family,” which features a same-sex couple …

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/04/08/4169302/tuition-and-tolerance.html#storylink=cpy

It’s still not always easy being gay. Even on a college campus.  After all, if your parents just found out you’re gay and aren’t exactly cool with it, your days on that campus might be numbered. Especially if they’re footing the bills.

University of Missouri-Kansas City officials started talking about what they could do to help in that situation, and four years ago created a scholarship for gay students who suddenly find themselves facing a financial crisis. Two students got the scholarship in 2009-10, the first year. The following year: one. This school year? Three.

“This year was the greatest need we’ve seen,” says Kristi Ryujin, UMKC’s assistant vice chancellor for diversity, access and equity. “We have a long way to go still.”

The Pride Empowerment Scholarship is thought to be fairly unusual. The annual breakfast that raises money for it is Thursday; the event is sold out.  National Public Radio White House correspondent Ari Shapiro, who was on campus in March for a pride event, tweeted afterward: “Real privilege to speak at UMKC tonight. The school raises $ to help students whose parents kick them out for being gay. Bravo.”

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/04/08/4169302/tuition-and-tolerance.html#storylink=cpy

Since the scholarship was first offered, eight students have been awarded it. Files says he’s aware of the situations of this year’s other two recipients. One family basically said, “Don’t call us anymore.” The other was of the we’re-cutting-you-off variety.

One of this year’s recipients had been living in a “camp space,” Ryujin says.  The scholarship goes beyond financial assistance. Ryujin’s office keeps tabs on students and connects them with other campus resources, such as the university’s counseling center. UMKC also has an LGBTQIA Resource Center and a Pride Alliance student group.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/04/08/4169302/tuition-and-tolerance.html#storylink=cpy

Kudos to the  University of Missouri-Kansas City!  Meanwhile, if any readers would like to contribute to the scholarship I founded, click on the image of my parents on their wedding day at right and make a contribution via the Hampton Roads Community Foundation which administers the scholarship.  Be sure to identify the Hamar/HRBOR scholarship as the intended recipient of the tax deductible donation.

Aggressive Grassroots Activism is Needed

John Aravosis at America Blog has a great post that examines what the LGBT community needs to do to combat anti-gay elements who disingenuously spread fear and hatred against gays. He starts out talking about Perez Hilton's intent to not going to Sundance this year because of Prop 8. On his website, Perez states: You will support the Mormons if you go. You WILL support the taking away of equal rights for gays!

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Many will whine that boycotts do not work or that not all Mormons or all Utah residents supported Proposition 8, etc., and as a result those who work against equality get a free pass and are emboldened to seek to pass even more anti-gay laws and constitutional amendments. Only when the fear of economic reprisals and lost business become a very real concern will many businesses and decision makers avoid supporting anti-gay efforts. Our enemies will not back down for the right reason, so we need make them cease gay oppression out of the impact it has on their wallets. Here are highlights from John's thoughts:

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Go through the Prop 8 donor database, down individual donors and expose them to the light of day. Hold companies accountable for their support of bigotry. I was contacted yesterday by a Web site called BigThink that decided to partner up with the John Templeton Foundation. BigThink wanted me to promote some new thing they were doing with Templeton. Templeton gave $1 million to Prop 8. I told BigThink to stuff it . . . . then I e-mailed other top blogs to let them know not to publicize BigThink's embrace of hate. Activism should be about affecting change. I suspect BigThink, if enough of us let them know how they feel, may avoid Templeton in the future. We advance the cause of making Prop 8 donors a pariah. I'd like to see organizing in the wake of Prop 8 that specifically comes up with ways the grassroots can do things that have a practical real impact.

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We know the Mormons like to parachute into other states and drop a ton of bucks in order to take away the civil rights of gays and lesbians. But we also know the Mormons hate being the focus of attention. They hate having the public discuss, be made aware of, some of their more unconventional beliefs, such as Jesus being the brother of the devil, Jesus having had 3 wives including his mother, Native Americans being red and Africans being black because they're bad people, and so on. . . . . Why expose this? Because the Mormons fear this kind of exposure and will learn that there's a price to paid for their anti-gay activism. Perhaps in the long-run they'll decide that the price isn't worth it.

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Prop 8 donors and businesses, for example, and/or boycotting Utah or Sundance, if done right, keeps the story in the news and puts real pressure on those who are subsidizing this hate. It teaches Prop 8 donors not to make the same mistake twice.

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Local activists are trying to fill a void. No one is taking the lead on Prop 8 activism at a nation level. . . . Local activists have no choice but to assume leadership. And they have, and that's admirable. But they need to move beyond "cute." This is a war we're fighting. So fight it.