CityBeat
IN MY OPINION
Justice for all
BY JUSTICE WAIDNER, INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OKLAHOMANS FOR EQUALITY
Justice Waidner’s mother
recently commissioned
local artist Rosemary
Daugherty to create this
painting of downtown Tulsa
as a 30th birthday gift.
I AM ONE OF TULSA’S greatest fans. At age
17, after graduating from Booker T. Washington High School, I set off to see the world.
During the ensuing years, I was fortunate to
have the opportunity to live in many wonderful cities, including Atlanta, Boston and
Amsterdam. None of these places, however,
felt like home. Seven years later, I decided to
return to Tulsa, to our unique combination
of beauty, generosity, diversity and compassion. It was the best decision I have ever made.
I recently began a new chapter in my professional life. I am honored to be serving as
the interim executive director for Oklahomans
for Equality, an organization that seeks equal
rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender (LGBT) individuals and families through
advocacy, education, programs, alliances and the operation of the Dennis R. Neill
Equality Center.
Tulsa and the surrounding
areas have a thriving and vibrant LGBT and allied community. There are multiple
organizations designed to support all of its varied facets.
More than 20 local faith communities are welcoming and
affirming of LGBT individuals
and families. Each June, Tulsa
is home to a weeklong Diversity Celebration, culminating
in a parade and festival in
which an estimated 15,000-
18,000 people participate.
The most recent addition to
our community is the Dennis
R. Neill Equality Center. At
18,000 square feet, the Equality Center is one of the largest
LGBT community centers in the nation. It
was entirely funded by the generosity of individuals and foundations. The center serves
as a base for numerous programs, including
support groups, social activities, professional
development, the LGBT hotline and health
testing sponsored by H.O.P.E. Testing Clinic.
It also is home to the David Bohnett Cyber
Center, the Nancy and Joe McDonald Rainbow Library and the Tulsa LGBT History
Project, as well as an events center, art gallery,
pride store and wellness program.
LGBT Tulsans are deeply committed to
strengthening our city by making significant
economic, professional, volunteer and other
contributions. According to a 2005 study conducted by the Community Service Council
of Greater Tulsa, 65 percent of the LGBT community volunteered, 73 percent voted and 83
percent made donations to charitable causes
in the previous year — all above the national
average for the general population.
These are just a few of the many reasons
why I am proud to call Tulsa home. I am
proud of the robust LGBT community and
all it gives to make our city great. I am proud
of the commitment and generosity of those
who made Oklahomans for Equality and the
Dennis R. Neill Center a reality for all. I am
proud of the myriad of non-LGBT community organizations that have partnered with
OkEq to help ensure that the needs of all Tulsans are met.
However, there is still much left to be done.
Our citizens deserve equality regardless of
their sexual orientation or gender identity. All
children should feel safe in our schools without fear of bullying because of their real or
perceived sexual orientation and gender identity. Loving families of all kinds should be protected. All LGBT Oklahomans deserve equal
rights in employment, housing, medical care
and personal freedoms.
It is my hope that soon there will come a
day when equality for all Oklahomans will
be fully realized. Tulsa is a diverse and beautiful city, steeped in a deep commitment to
community and generosity, and it is the city
that has captured my heart. I pledge to devote myself to doing all I can to ensure that
all people find Tulsa and our surrounding
communities to be warm and welcoming. In
this, our centennial year, let us join together
to seek justice and equality for all of our citizens. ■
OVERHEARD
“The last thing we need is 535 ‘generals’
in Congress telling our troops how to win this fight.”
— U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, who said members of Congress were pressuring the president to prematurely and arbitrarily draw down troop levels in Iraq, according to
the Tulsa World. Inhofe noted that a majority of the Senate had voted to give Gen. David Petraeus until mid-September to implement a new surge strategy.
