Michael Hill was known by students, teachers and advocates as a fine teacher, someone who cared about the outcome of his kids and fought for their best outcome. “ I have known Michael for many years, and I know him to be a great advocate for kids and teachers alike,” said Claudean McKellips, a Lawrence, Kansas teacher. Her opinion was not alone, as teachers across the state voiced their support for Michael Hill, a former teacher in Seneca, Kansas.
While fellow teachers and state advocates backed Hill, after coming out as gay, some members of his community instead resorted to threats, intimidation, and harassment.
The threats continued to come, and eventually, Michael Hill, fearing for his safety, left his position at Seneca to move to a community more accepting.
In a public post to Facebook, Hill explained his situation:
I decided I needed to put these out there because people need to know this kind of ugly hatred still exists in the world only by confronting it can we end it. This was part of a pattern of harassment that started back in October 2017. As a result of this I made the difficult decision to pack up and make a huge leap of faith and moved to Palm Springs, CA.
Anti-LGBTQ fever in a small district in Kansas also mirrors the anti-LGBTQ furor within the state house and party. For the last two years, conservative advocates within the state house have backed an aggressive anti-LGBTQ agenda, from discriminatory practices to backing the idea that bullying of LGBTQ individuals might be okay—timely considering that bullying is now leading a teacher to leave. These practices are seen as creating a toxic environment for LGBTQ individuals in the state.
Kansas candidates for governor have taken various stances, with all of the Republicans seemingly aligned with the anti-LGBTQ proposals of their state party, and Democratic candidates uniformly announcing their belief in civil rights.
Seeing that this was unlikely to change, the Kansas City Star editorialist Steve Rose contended we should just give “Republicans a pass” on their anti-LGBTQ agenda.
Thomas Witt, Director of Equality Kansas, put a pin in that point. “It’s horrifying and appalling that Kansans are still being run out of their jobs and out of their homes by this kind of hateful discrimination. This is exactly the kind behavior that thrives in an environment where our lawmakers engage in daily acts of bigotry. Legislation like the current adoption discrimination bill, or last year’s anti-trans bathroom bills, provides the fertilizer necessary for hate and bigotry to thrive.”
The problem with using LGBTQ residents as punching bags to score political points is not exclusive turf for Republicans. Sources with HRC and Equality KS indicated that Senator John Doll, a newly found independent running for lieutenant governor would be on the right side of bills like the discriminatory adoption bill, but contended that after being chosen to be lieutenant governor by independent Greg Orman, his stance changed and he would consider the needs of the underlying bill first, according to LGBTQ advocates.
Speaking with Senator Doll recently, he noted that while he was adamantly opposed to the amendment, and voted “no” on the amendment, the concerns of his district meant that he had to vote for the underlying bill in support of “better option” for adoption in his district. Senator Doll continued: “I did tell them no, but I was specifically referring to the anti-LGBT amendment, which I find heinous and wrong; and I adamantly opposed, but I could not oppose the bill as a whole, as we need adoption reform.”
LGBTQ rights advocates, like HRC and Equality Kansas, note however that the tradeoff is troubling; and that the amendment made the bill unsupportable.
This is the triangulation too many in Topeka take, especially those that write these amendments—that to score political points, bashing LGBTQ community members is a quick way to seem as though they are in line with “Kansas values.” LGBTQ individuals are U.S. citizens with civil rights that should be respected, instead of joining with groups to bash them as political triangulation in hopes that it will win you votes.
Michael Hill fled the state because he had concerns about his personal safety and wanted to go somewhere less toxic.
Being in a toxic environment is not just about direct threats; it is also about being in a place where you want to raise your children, live and participate. The direct threats received in Seneca are certainly troubling, but the political calculations in Topeka enable and embolden those who believe this is acceptable, and create an environment unfriendly to those who are LGBTQ.