After lengthy debate, Student Senate takes stance on gay marriage issue_

By By Daniel Berk

Thursday, March 17, 2005

Student Senate has taken a stance on gay marriage and wants the student body to adopt the same position. Wednesday night Senate passed a resolution urging students to vote against the gay marriage ban because it threatens students’ rights.

In a debate that lasted nearly 90 minutes, Nick Sterner, Shawnee junior, began the argument by submitting a resolution that students vote against the gay marriage amendment.

“This is not about personal ideology,” Sterner said. “It is about students' rights.”

Sterner cited an article from the University of Kansas Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities that it is the right of students to be free from harassment or discrimination based on sex, race, color, national origin, religion or sexual orientation.

Senate debated whether the organization should take a stance on gay marriage. Some senators felt Senate is not in a position to tell 26,000 students what to do. Sterner and others disagreed.

“We are elected to represent students,” Sterner said. “It is very important that we protect their rights all the time.”

Now, Senate will spend the time before the April 5 election both educating on the amendment and advocating it, Sterner said.

Katie Wolff, Student Senate legislative director, said Student Legislative Awareness Board would be campaigning on Wescoe beach for the gay marriage amendment and other issues on the April 5 ballot, the week after spring break.

“We just want to make sure that all students are informed on everything,” Wolff said. “Sometimes the wording of things can be very tricky and we want to make things as simple as possible for students."

A copy of the resolution will be sent to local newspapers, but Sterner said the resolution was not designed to be sent to legislators.

“The legislators already voted on this amendment,” Sterner said. “It is more important now that voters in the upcoming election be informed on the issue.

Date set for vote on marriage ban

/news/2005/feb/03/news_state_marriageban/

Marriage ban on ballot tomorrow

/news/2005/apr/04/news_campus_ballot/

KUnited wins four in a row

/news/2005/apr/15/news_campus_kunited/

Coalitions debate

/news/2005/apr/08/news_campus_debate/

Gay marriage divides on religious lines

/news/2005/feb/03/opinion_faceoff_archer/

Gay marriage divides on religious lines

/news/2005/feb/03/opinion_faceoff_souza/

New group to run

/news/2005/feb/24/news_campus_group/

Highberger chosen to be city’s mayor

/news/2005/apr/13/news_lawrence_mayor/

KUnited puts renewable energy plan on platform

/news/2005/apr/06/news_campus_green/

Coalitions release election platforms; new group joins

/news/2005/mar/08/news_campus_platforms/

Regents bill hits a snag

/news/2005/mar/31/news_campus_funds/

Couple plans to marry despite legal obstacles

/news/2005/apr/25/news_campus_couple/

Coalition claims moral victory

/news/2005/apr/15/news_campus_deltaforce/

Kansas votes yes

/news/2005/apr/06/news_lawrence_election/

Kansas State replaces ’Powercat’ with tractor

/news/2005/feb/02/news_features_satire_kstate/

No A&M reference in revised Student Senate ...

Senate bill no longer asks University officials to "admonish" Texas A&M for ...

/news/2011/sep/21/student-senate/

Student Voice faces charges

/news/2005/mar/18/news_campus_violations/

Tearing down campus hate

/news/2005/apr/05/news_campus_hate/

Gay marriage issue of civil rights, columnist’s ...

/news/2005/feb/10/opinion_letters_2/

Hirschfeld: It’s not always bad to be ...

/news/2008/oct/27/single_issue_voters/

Politically correct: same-sex marriage

Three political columnists share their thoughts on laws allowing same-sex marriage.

/news/2009/nov/17/politically-correct-same-sex-marriage/

Coming out buoys Rundle

/news/2005/apr/20/news_lawrence_rundle/

Beer decision on hold

/news/2005/apr/22/news_campus_beer/

Delta Force launches campaign

/news/2005/mar/07/news_campus_dfkickoff/

Kansas may limit University funding

/news/2005/apr/07/news_campus_tabor/

Election violation decision postponed until next week

/news/2005/apr/26/news_campus_violation/

Coalition disputes fine

/news/2005/apr/20/news_campus_chanay/

Student Senate Notebook

/news/2008/sep/25/student_s/

Jayhawk hoop dreams

/news/2005/feb/02/sports_basketball_mens_wolff/

Gay rights debate rages on

This election could mean a new direction for gay rights

/news/2008/nov/03/gay_rights/

Letter: Obama the best choice for the ...

Sen. Barack Obama demonstrates the leadership and optimism needed in the next ...

/news/2008/feb/05/letter_obama/

Students follow national voting trend

Candidates uses social networks to reach out to the youth vote

/news/2007/oct/31/election/

Senators question student body president’s vetoes

The vetoed legislation concerns Gmail technology, a sustainability fee and the Multiculural ...

/news/2008/mar/31/senators_question_student_body_presidents_vetoes/

Student Senate Notebook

Here is what happened at the Student Senate meeting on Wednesday

/news/2007/nov/08/student_senate_notebook/

Elections bill voted down after heated debate

Student Senate kills bill containing proposed changes to the elections code.

/news/2010/feb/18/elections-bill/

Student Voice coalition alleges bias in elections ...

/news/2005/sep/13/student_voice/

New government relations director for University chosen

/news/2005/may/04/news_campus_goverment/

Castle: New York’s marriage equality symbol of ...

Politics is slowly catching up with cultural beliefs on marriage equality.

/news/2011/jul/01/castle-new-yorks-marriage-equality-symbol-more-tol/

Proposed bill may remove staff from state ...

/news/2005/feb/09/news_campus_staff/

Dole's effects on display

/news/2005/aug/12/bts_brief_4/

Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.

Sign in to comment

Or login with:

OpenID