“Since the unfortunate cancellation of our planned family event, we have been so heartened by the support we have received from our community.
That support has come in a wave of emails, calls, and social media messages over the last several days. It has also included an unprecedented surge of individual donations, a total typical to what we might see over the course of several months versus several days. These generous gifts will help power our work to ensure that LGBTQ+ Nebraskans can be celebrated and empowered in the communities they call home. With this show of support, we will take what was a terrible situation and turn it into something positive.
Sadly, LGBTQ+ people still face discrimination and attempts to erase our identities in Nebraska. When discrimination takes its most extreme form in threats of violence, LGBTQ+ youth and families suffer.
The decision to cancel our event was not made lightly; it involved a frank conversation about the safety of our families. Despite having to reschedule the event, we are not discouraged. The spirit of this event, part of a series called Drag Queen Story Hour Nebraska, is kindness and empathy. The support our community has shown heartens us to continue our mission to educate, advocate and celebrate in service of LGBTQ+ Nebraskans.
We know that most Nebraskans value treating others with dignity, respect, and kindness. We encourage the community to unify a response by supporting the Equality Act. To join a phone bank in support of the Equality Act contact mar@outnebraska.org.â€
– Abbi Swatsworth, Executive Director
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OutNebraska is a non-partisan education and advocacy organization working to empower, celebrate and grow LGBTQ+ communities in Nebraska.