Colorado Springs' Human Relations Commission Full of Potential

 
Meaningful, lasting and effective solutions to problems of discrimination are best achieved through local citizen involvement and civic participation"

- John Dulles, Former Regional Director, United States Commission on Civil Rights

Despite the huge gains made against discrimination and prejudice in the last five decades in the U.S., recent developments highlight the distance we still have to go. The vitriol being spewed over the Islamic Center in New York City, for example, reveals how easily latent ethnic distrust can quickly escalate into destructive community conflict. Another troubling sign: our current economic crisis is revealing an ugly reality of severe and growing wealth inequality (See Nicholas Kristof's piece in NYT  and Timothy Noah's series in Slate.) Such disparities tend to bring out the best and the worst in people, with discrimination and prejudice among them

Here in Colorado Springs, we are a bright spot. In June of this year our City Council took a leap of faith and resurrected the ideal of a city-sanctioned, community effort to protect and promote civil rights for all residents; the Human Relations Commission. Last Friday was the deadline to apply and more than 30 citizens submitted their applications to be among the first nine members, who will create the infrastructure to achieve its mission.

Fortunately they will have some expert help to get up and running. A new state wide coalition of Human Relations Commission staff and volunteers recently met to share expertise and support one another. At the gathering was Philip Arreola, regional director of the U.S. Department of Justice's Community Relations Service, which conducts free trainings for HRCs. Members of Colorado Springs HRC Task Force attended the conference, received pledges of support, and heard some great ideas from others around the state. Here are some of them:

• Denver's Anti-Discrimination Office helps victims of illegal discrimination find resolution through mediation or judicial action. They also helped set up a language translation service for people in need who call the city's 311 service; a hotline where people can get information about city services.
• The Aurora Human Relations Commission helped create the Key Community Response Team (KCRT) that includes the Mayor, Police Chief, School Superintendants, College Chancellors, etc who meet periodically to anticipate and address potentially divisive issues before they escalate and cause harm.
• The City of Longmont's Community and Neighborhood Resources office helps residents navigate government bureaucracies to become more self sufficient in accessing services and resources that enhance their quality of life, and capacity to fully participate in their neighborhood and community.
• Other HRCs raise the profile of community cultural events, sponsor public forums on issues effecting diverse communities, and act as clearinghouses for residents who feel they have been mistreated or harmed by discriminatory treatment.

Maybe Colorado Springs' HRC will do similar things, maybe not. The official purpose set forth in the ordinance creating our HRC includes providing mediation & conciliation, recommending resolution of matters relating to equal rights and equal opportunity, promoting acceptance and respect for diversity, and acting as a referral resource.  No doubt, the new commission will assess the most important needs unique to our community and begin creating the Human Relations Commission that best meets those needs.

Three Colorado Springs organizations spoke out last week after Focus  on the Family revealed its plans to take over the annual "Day of Truth" event, a counter to the "Day of Silence," which empowers lesbian, gay, bisexual and  transgender (LGBT) youth to bring attention to LGBT bullying and harassment in their schools by making a one-day vow of silence. The "Day of Truth" event encourages students to speak up about God's design for sexuality.

Citizens Project, Inside/Out Youth Services and the Pikes Peak Gay & Lesbian Community Center expressed concern at the continuation of the event, particularly in light of the recent rash of suicides and the potential impacts to the Colorado Springs Community.

"One in three of the over 575 youth who came to Inside/Out this year have  tried to harm themselves - even attempted suicide - because they lose hope in the face of anti-LGBT bias at school and in our community," said Shawna Kemppainen, Executive Director of Colorado Springs-based Inside/Out Youth Services, an organization whose mission is to create acceptance and possibility for LGBT youth. "The 'Day of Truth" event is destructive to our community, our schools, and our youth."

Exodus International, the group which formerly sponsored the "Day of Truth," decided to pull support for the event last month after a series of LGBT bullying-related suicides nationwide. Focus on the Family intends to call the event "Day of Dialogue," but will continue to market it as an opportunity to "help you as a student ensure you have a safe space to express a faith-based viewpoint in a loving and respectful way when homosexuality is brought up in your school, especially during events like GLSEN's Day of Silence."

 "This is a well-intended effort that will ultimately exacerbate a climate of hostility for LGBT students," said Kristy Milligan, Executive Director of Citizens Project, a local church/state separation organization. "We're calling on Focus on the Family to engage in respectful, constructive dialogue without contrasting their event with the 'Day of Silence', a peaceful anti-bullying demonstration for all students."

The 2011 "Day of Silence" is scheduled for April 15, while the "Day of Dialogue" is slated for April 18, a departure from last year, when the events were scheduled on the same day.

Facts:

·         Nearly 9 out of 10 LGBT students face harassment in school (http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/library/record/2624.html?state=research&type=research)

·         Two-thirds (65%) of teens report that they have been verbally or physically harassed or assaulted during the past year because of their perceived or actual appearance, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, race/ethnicity, disability or religion (http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/library/record/1859.html?state=research&type=research)

League of Women Voters Seeks Community Leader Award Nominations

The League of Women Voters of the Pikes Peak Region invites nominations for its fifth annual Making Democracy Work Award.  The award, which will honor an individual for her community activism, will be presented February 17^th, 2010.

The award will honor a woman, age 40 or older, who is making the civic life of our community strong, vibrant and fair.  Nominees can apply on their own behalf or may be nominated by a friend or colleague.  An application form can be downloaded from the League's web site at www.lwvppr.org.  All applications must be received by December 3, 2011.

Nominees will be recognized, and the winner announced, February 17th in conjunction with the League's 91st birthday.

For more information, please contact Charles Merritt, 576-7432, echarlesmerritt@aol.com or visit www.lwvppr.org.

The League is pleased to cosponsor this award with The Colorado Springs Independent.