Tagged: gay rights

Six months after Salina residents voted to repeal anti-discrimination protections based on gender identity and sexual orientation, the city's new mayor has joined a national group of mayors who support gay marriage.

Mayor Barb Shirley is the first Kansas mayor to join Mayors for Freedom to Marry, the Salina Journal reported. More than 350 other mayors across the country belong to the group.

Gov. Sam Brownback still supports a federal law against gay marriage that he backed as a member of Congress and says the issue is settled in Kansas because of the state's constitutional ban.

Brownback faced questions Thursday from reporters with two cases on gay marriage before the U.S. Supreme Court. Brownback has long supported what he calls the traditional definition of marriage.

In one case, the high court is being asked to strike down a gay-marriage ban in California enacted by voters. The other case is a challenge to the federal Defense of Marriage Act of 1996.

Hutchinson voters in November might face ballot issues that would either repeal gay rights or broaden them. 

In June, the Hutchinson City Council added protections against discrimination in housing and employment for gay, lesbian and bisexual people.

After the vote, opponents began gathering signatures on petitions to require a November vote to repeal that ordinance. Today, the Kansas Equality Coalition announced it would gather signatures on a ballot question asking voters to approve wider protections for gays, lesbians and bisexuals.