An open letter to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt

Yesterday, I was saddened to read that Kansas' attorney general, Derek Schmidt, has signed on to a brief to the Supreme Court of the United States of America (SCOTUS) asking the justices to overturn a case that, if overturned, will allow business to fire employees because of their sexual orientation or gender identity since an appeals court has ruled LGBTQ+ workers are protected by Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Maybe it is because I'm a gay Kansan, or because I'm a Christian, or because I just finished reading C.J. Janovy's No Place Like Home: Lessons in Activism from LGBT Kansas, but no matter why, during my run this morning I decided it was time to pen a letter ... well, e-mail, to Mr. Schmidt.

Please feel free to use this as a template or guide to draft your own letter my friends in Kansas - or any of the other states that continue to promote discrimination.

Oh ... the bonus from my frustration this morning ... I ran faster and harder than I have in a long time. :-)

Open Letter

Dear Mr. Schmidt:

I just read of Kansas' signing on to a brief to the Supreme Court of the United States of America requesting the justices overturn an appeals court decision against a Michigan funeral home for terminating an employee because the employee is transgender. (https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/states-ask-supreme-court-to-limit-lgbt-protection-1) I am extremely disheartened that your office chose to sign this brief. As a Kansan who also happens to be gay, a range of emotions have been flowing through my mind since reading this article – anger, frustration, sadness ...

I'm 37 years old and have been fortunate to work with and for individuals and organizations who value my "farm-kid" work ethic and my competencies more than who I love and have chosen to spend the rest of my life with – my husband and I have been committed to each other for ten years and will soon celebrate our second wedding anniversary after being able to [finally] declare our love for each other not only in front of our family, friends and God but also OUR government. I share this background to give you a small glimpse of who I am, as a person – a fellow Kansan, a Christian, a native of Rawlins County, a current resident of Morris County, a son, a brother, an uncle, a neighbor, a small business owner. But, I do not write this letter (e-mail) for me. I write this letter for all the Jamel Myles(es) out there. Maybe you read about Jamel as you were signing on to the brief. Jamel is the young Colorado boy who committed suicide after sharing with friends and family his authentic self - that he was gay.

According to the Trevor Project (https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/preventing-suicide/facts-about-suicide/#sm.0000unz9qtedfebos8z2cf2o5ib64), young people who identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual are four times more likely than their heterosexual peers to contemplate and/or attempt suicide. Those who identify as transgender are even more likely to harm themselves and take their own lives. Research indicates 40 percent of transgender youth have contemplated or attempted suicide. These statistics are a travesty and actions by adults – like signing a brief that allows for legal discrimination in places of employment based on sexual orientation or gender identity, exacerbate the situation. Each time an LGBTQ+ youth is exposed to physical or emotional harassment, they are 2.5 times more likely to consider harming themselves.

While, in my mind, the well-being of our fellow mankind is enough to not support discrimination of any kind – discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, age, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, etc., I would also propose activities like the signing on to this brief are simply bad for Kansas. I love Kansas. I’m proud of my family’s rich heritage here; beginning with my great-grandfather’s settling in Thomas County as a homesteader. He and my great-grandmother went on to build a successful farming operation and to be active citizens of their community. The lessons of hard work, faith and community involvement continue in our family over 100 years since the Jones family chose Kansas as our home.

Why is discrimination bad for Kansas?  This should be self-evident but just a few examples. For most of Kansas’ 105 counties, the county’s peak population was nearly 100 years ago. Kansas cannot afford a reputation as a non-welcoming state for individuals, families and businesses. I’m thankful my family and neighbors exude openness and love to my husband and me. It would be nice if Kansas’ elected officials did the same. Whether a person is deciding to stay in Kansas or migrate to Kansas, we all must be open and welcoming.

Furthermore, a diverse and inclusive organization – such as a state, is more successful in business, in community. An article in Forbes earlier this year further explored this concept - https://www.forbes.com/sites/karstenstrauss/2018/01/25/more-evidence-that-company-diversity-leads-to-better-profits/#7e09ade01bc7. Within the article, the writer references a 2015 study by McKinsey & Co. (https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/why-diversity-matters) that explored how diversity helps organizations attract top talent, make decisions that lead to greater returns on investment, have a more global view of the world, increase employee [citizen] satisfaction, have a competitive advantage, etc.

Wouldn’t it be nice if Kansas was seen as an open and welcoming state by ALL Kansans and visitors – not just those who look and act like the majority (WASSP [white, Anglo-Saxon, straight, protestant] males)

I will close with this. On your Facebook page, you highlight a favorite quote of Albert Einstein’s – “Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom."

Should this freedom not include the freedom to not worry that you can be fired from the labor [job] you love because of your sexual orientation or gender identity?

Sincerely,

J.J. Jones