Chris Haulmark shares the awesome Olathe Public Schools community activism in support of its marginalized GLBTQ students!

Links:

Olathe Schools Board meeting: Link

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Transcription:

[Chris Haulmark is standing in the kitchen wearing white, long sleeved, and button-up shirt.]

Hello everyone!

This is Chris Haulmark, running for US House of Representatives in Kansas’s Third Congressional District.

Today’s vlog is to inform everyone how wonderful it was to attend the Olathe Public School board meeting yesterday evening.

On an aside, the board meeting was hosting public comments about the LGBTQ students in the school system here in Olathe.

I was surprised about the perspectives shared by other commenters.

Hold on- first, let’s do quick review what’s going on…

Y’know, one of Olathe’s high schools has a student group of LGBTQ students whom were bullied and harassed as they marched in homecoming a few weeks ago.

Some of the school staff discredited the bullying reports, not call attention to the injustice perpetrated in the entire situation, where homophobic students were heckling and bullying the LGBTQ marchers, simply because of whom they were identifying as their identity.

Whew, what an unfortunate situation!

So, one woman who identified as the mother of a transgender son brought up the Olathe Public School LGBTQ bullying issue on social media, wanting to draw attention to what was going on, asking for community support.

As I observed the online discussion, I sent her a private message, as well as commented my support of the local LGBTQ students on the social media platform.

As it so happens, she shared that there was a school board meeting accepting public comments.

So I showed up yesterday at the session to lend my support.

*grin* Let us show you the video clip made there.

Engage!

*video clip switch*

[Camera shows Chris Haulmark sitting in a chair in middle of a large room with many people sitting around or standing around. He is wearing dark blue, long sleeved, and button up shirt.]

Chris Haulmark: Hello, I’m here for the Olathe Public School Board session being held for the GLBTQ community and students. *grin*

*fade back*

[Camera returns back to Chris Haulmark in the kitchen.]

That’s great in a way!

What happened is that I showed up, knowing that I had straight privilege, knowing I’m in a safe area, so I’m not that concerned about circumstances such as how I would feel about myself, but I am very concerned about the LGBTQ children being bullied, and ANY other marginalized group of children likely to get abused or bullied, too.

After all, I, too, was bullied way back when in public school, simply because, Y’know, I’m the only deaf student in that public school and, yes- I was harassed, teased, flicking the cochlear implant off my body, told I wouldn’t have children because of being deaf, or because any women wouldn’t like me.

Or that I wouldn’t succeed in life, surviving for a long time, simply because I was deaf, and that list went on.

That treatment crushed my spirit back then, but there were heroes- who were they?

People who spoke up, saying what was happening to me was wrong.

So I apply the same moral standards in offering the same course of action for the board members to, recognize and understand their responsibilities because, what that mother of a transgender student did is heroic.

She’s the one who pulled in some us community members to make our supportive statements.

Wow, that’s so impressive!

THAT’S what community activism is supposed to do- we all come together in SUPPORT of a cause, encouraging for progressive improvement in our collective lives.

*grinning*

I was so PROUD to be part of it last night!

*nodding* YES WE CAN!

[Video fades into a black background with a logo of a cartoonish Chris Haulmark signing “Believe” with white text of “Yes, We Can Believe” below the logo. There is the text of www.HaulmarkForCongress.com at the bottom]