Civil Liberties
Perhaps because of the large number of outspoken and thoughtful people in our community, we have often found ourselves at ground zero in battles over civil liberties. In the 1980's Chapel Hill elected the first openly-gay elected official in the state, but Carrboro bested that by electing North Carolina’s first out mayor a decade later.
More recently, Chapel Hill grappled with free speech issues in the wake of 9/11, approved and then dismantled red light cameras in 2003-4, and was challenged by fundamentalists over support for gay marriage in 2005.
With the election of Mayor Lavelle and the re-election of Mayor Kleinschmidt, every news report I hear or read about them includes the terms "openly gay" or "openly lesbian." Having not gone through the experience of keeping key elements of myself private and then navigating the landscape of revealing these to family members, friends, coworkers and the like, I don't have the grounding necessary to comment. Nevertheless, the use of the word "openly" gives me some unease. It seems to suggest that the public still harkens back to some sort of unspoken compact with gay and lesbian polticians that the cost of being elected was silence.
As we in Chapel Hill and Carrboro strive to continue to lead in the progress toward a fairer and more tolerant society, maybe we can move from "openly gay mayor" and "openly lesbian mayor" to just "gay mayor" and "lesbian mayor". Then, who knows, maybe just "mayor."
Hi all, this will be my final blog during the rest of the election season. I have enjoyed attending CHTC meetings during the last 2.5 years. Since moving here I have been vocal on a number of town issues that have not received the attention it deserved . I have voiced an opinion from the cell phone ban which I was in favored of, I wanted a private investigator for the Yates Building incident , which the CHTC shot down, I felt that the signs for the bus ads which were STOP AID TO ISREAL were politically incorrect, and happy that CHTC change it to their current policy on the issue . I sat through the Rogers Road and other community issues as well, Such as Obey Creek, Central West, the Ram Plaza area, and Glen Lennox. I sat through town ordinances evaluation such as the food truck issue. So therefore im not exactly the new kid in town. In conclusion I hope you consider all the above when choosing to vote for me in this years election. Thank you. Gary Kahn The above is from election of 2013
Hi all the above is available at news and observer/chapel hill news dot com. thank you gary kahn
From their web site:
Human Rights Conference: Without Borders?
Saturday, October 5th 8:15 am - 4:30 pm
Carrboro Century Center
On Saturday October 5th, the HRC is organizing a conference titled Without Borders? We want to challenge the day- to- day boundaries and tackle questions such as, "Are there some borders we may want to abolish? Some we may wish to preserve? Transgress? Are there some borders we wish to finesse? Is solidarity possible across our diversities?
MC - Victor Acosta
TIME | PANEL/TOPIC | PANELISTS |
8:15-8:30 am | Introduction Bonners & Afterschool Video | |
8:30-9:30 am | Migrantes sin Fronteras (Translation: Migrants without Borders) | UNC Students United for Immigration Equality (SUIE): Boriana Mravoka, Emilio Vincente, Maria Pia Rodriguez and Giovanny and "Beto" Rodriguez and Misclassified Persons: |
9:35-9:45 am | Harakat el Heels - Student Palestinian dance group | UNC undergradutes: Amar Arafat, Abood Dahnoun, Hussein Ahmad, Joel Hage, Rosaleen Zitawi, Dalia Kaakour, Sarah Zamamiri, Jenna Sawafta |
9:50-10:20 am | Where are the Refugees? | Local refugees: Susu and Abdullah |
10:25-11:05 am | Empowerment, Independence and Culture | Community Empowerment Fund: Chiraayu Gosrani, Myrna, Victoria Castillo |
11:10-11:50 | Keynote Speech: Heroes, Dreamers, and the Promise of America | Gene R. Nichol Boyd Tinsley Distinguished Professor of Law and Director of the Center on Poverty, Work & Opportunity |
11:50-12:30 pm | LUNCH: Olga's delicious tamales recommended! | |
12:30-1:00 pm | Raging Grannies | |
1:05-1:45 pm | New Doors to Housing: The Challenges of Affordability | Sally Greene, Town of Chapel Hill Council Member Damon Seils, Jamie Rohe, and Tish Galu |
1:50-2:30 pm | The activist as Elected Official | Mayor Chilton and Maria Palmer (running for CH town council) |
2:35-3:15 pm | Leading for Justice in an Unjust World | Women's International League of Peace & Freedom |
3:20-4:00 pm | The Other Side | Communiversity: Charles Hands, Jeanette Stackhouse, Holly Stephens, and Dylane Davis
|
RSVP at https://www.facebook.com/events/356202871179634/ Date:
Saturday, October 5, 2013 - 8:15am to 4:30pm
Location:
Carrboro Century Center, 100 North Greensboro Street, Carrboro
The annual NC Pride festival and parade happened today with a lot of folks from Chapel Hill, the triangle, and throughout the state in attendance. Here's a little of what I saw.
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