With a music career spanning 14 years, Kristie Stremel has seen many sides of the music industry. Starting out in the alternative rock band Frogpond, she released two major label albums and played shows with the likes of Everclear.

When Frogpond disbanded in 2000, Kristie started playing with a new band called Exit 159, named for the I-70 off-ramp to her hometown of Hays, Kan.

Kristie has spent the past eight years as a solo musician, and she has also become a prominent activist for gay rights. Her most recent endeavor is continuing her education as a student at the University of Kansas.

Q: How would you describe your music?

A: One of the best quotes I ever read about what my music sounds like is, “If Joan Jett and Tom Petty had a love child.” That always made me pretty happy.

Q: What exciting things are happening in your life right now?

A: We’re going to be doing two Exit 159 reunion shows. One in Kansas City on Feb. 20, and one here in Lawrence on Feb. 21. I’m also focused on breast cancer right now. My friend, Abigail from the Gaslights, was recently diagnosed and that really hit home. In our little community, a lot of musicians don’t have health insurance, so I’m working with some foundations to see how I can help. I’m trying to be less of a taker and be more of a giver.

Q: You went back to school recently. How’s that going?

A: Yeah, I decided in 2005 that I was going to get a formal education. So I did two years at community college in Kansas City, and then I enrolled this semester at KU. It’s going great. Once I started taking classes and learning, I couldn’t stop. I just want to know more and more.

Q: What kind of classes are you taking?

A: Mainly art. I’m working on a visual art education degree. I’m thinking about being an art teacher, which I thought would work out great with being a musician. I could teach and then take the summers off to go tour. If I have to have a “real job,” it seems like a good schedule to have.

Q: How does it feel to come back to school as a non-traditional student?

A: I’m glad I did it this way. I’m glad I spent 10 years on the road and played shows and did whatever I wanted to do. Now I’m just so much more focussed and interested in the classes. I’m the nerd. I’m the old lady raising her hand in class.

Q: Has Lawrence been welcoming so far?

A: Of all the places to live in Kansas, this is the best place. It’s just so chill. Everyone is relaxed and you can be yourself. Lawrence is the only city in Kansas that has a domestic partnership benefit, and that just shows the progressiveness and equality that Lawrence is trying to show. That’s kind of a new thing, and given what’s happening in California right now, that’s pretty impressive for Kansas. Although it has no legally-binding qualities, it’s still a major step in the right direction.

Q: What do you think about California’s recent constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage?

A: To see Obama be elected the first African-American president, I was so joyful and tearful and thought it was such progress—only to see the gay rights movement take such a huge step backwards the very next day. It was so conflicting for me. I just couldn’t understand it. I have a lot of friends out in California, a lot of actors and musicians, and they’re all just flabbergasted that this could even happen. It’s a mess out in California. People are protesting like crazy. All these couples have gotten married, and they’re wondering what it means for them. They’ve had their rights taken away.

Q: How did that make you feel?

A: This is what really sucks for me: I pay equal taxes, but don’t get equal rights. That’s what it really boils down to. If something should happen to somebody’s partner, they just don’t have the law on their side. They don’t have any legal rights. In that respect, Lawrence has made tremendous progress for trying to take steps in the right direction.

Q: How old were you when you came out?

A: I was 19. It was 1994, and I joined Frogpond in 1995.

Q: Was it difficult being from Hays, Kan.?

A: Definitely. But you know, I’ve found out that there are a lot of gay people in those small towns. I mean there are probably 10 from my small class in Hays that are gay or lesbian.

Q: What made you become more involved in the gay rights movement?

A: I just had to do something. For a long time, I stood on the sidelines. I wanted equal rights, but didn’t do anything to help the cause. But for the past three years, I’ve really gotten tired of reading that someone was murdered for being gay, tired about hearing that kids are committing suicide because they can’t deal with it, tired that partners are dying and not getting any compensation because they weren’t allowed to get married. I’m tired of it. We all pay equal taxes, but we’re second-class citizens as far as I’m concerned until we start getting those rights. It’s just about being fair.

Q: What can other people do to get involved?

A: I’ve recently joined the Kansas Equality Coalition, and they’re a great group that’s on the lookout for everybody, working for equality for everyone.