Sunsets and painful politics
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By BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star
She says she loves Nebraska, just before dropping that pesky little conjunction that so often marks the end of easygoing conversation.
“But …”
Yes, there’s that one little word that begins to explain one big reason Emily Evnen is enjoying college life far away in Connecticut.
“I love Nebraska,” she says, “but we have a couple issues we have to work out together.”
She is 19, born in Lincoln, proud of Lincoln in many ways, but …
She played on the playground at Prescott Elementary, then went to Irving Middle School and Southwest High School after that.
“I spent my entire high school career wanting to get out of Lincoln for a variety of reasons, then only after leaving did I realize how much I missed it.”
She misses Nebraska sunsets, those red-orange sky paintings that make you thankful this is not a state where big buildings get in the way.
And the people. Yes, Nebraskans can be “some of the most kind and compassionate people, while also being down to earth.”
But …
“But it’s hard to be openly gay in Nebraska. It’s not the most welcoming environment,” she says. “When I mention my girlfriend (in Connecticut), no one bats an eye.”
She says she knew she was gay the summer after her freshman year of high school. Terrified, she told her parents.
Mom and Dad were supportive. People at school were accepting, too.
Nebraskans can be pleasant that way.
“Regardless if they agree with you,” she says, “they’re not usually going to be very rude to your face.”
But she didn’t find the politics of Nebraska nearly as welcoming as people’s passing smiles. Some of the Nebraska Legislature’s acts disheartened her growing up and continue to do so as she takes classes at Wesleyan University in Connecticut.
Even 1,400 miles away, she felt hurt when the state lawmakers shot down LB475, which would have made it unlawful for employers to fire an employee strictly because of his or her sexual orientation.
“Every time that a politician says something about protecting family values, I feel as though it’s a personal attack on me, because I do have family values,” she says. “I want to have a family with children with my wife someday. Declaring that my family isn’t sufficient or is in some way inadequate is a personal attack on me.”
Time will help her decide if she wants to come back. Part of her feels guilty for leaving because she thinks a lot of change needs to happen here.
“Part of me wants to come back and fight for laws, too.”
Oh, how politics can ruin a beautiful relationship.
It’s a shame, because the sunsets out east aren’t as good. She noticed right away.
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Grand Island Guy wrote on July 29, 2007 11:14 am:
peb wrote on July 29, 2007 11:12 pm:
John wrote on July 30, 2007 1:57 am:
wake up wrote on July 30, 2007 10:07 pm:
life wrote on January 5, 2008 11:40 pm:
Society is an ever-changing theory that is always in practice..
We never had it completely right, we don't have it completely right, nor will we ever have it completely right.
Times change, and so must our response to it and to be realistic is to understand their will always be holes and people that slip through the cracks, however as a society we can be much more helpful even with criticism to be on the ever-going path - always being steered, but hopefully with our best intentions...
The toughest parts of life will always be there, our goal should be to minimize it, by realizing our own potential and while, to the best of our ability; to help everyone realize their own potential.. "