On May 22, Chris Schultz took to the podium to announce his candidacy for mayor of Topeka. The fact that today is Harvey Milk’s birthday may have been a coincidence, but for this Topeka area businessman, it also helps frame the contest he’s entering.
When it comes to LGBT issues, when Topeka Kansas is mentioned, people think of Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church. The Westboro church became famous for protesting funerals and gay rights, naming their own website godhatesfags.org. Topeka is also the capitol of Kansas, a state that has been linked with strong conservative and anti-LGBT proposals.
Chris Schultz, though, looks to challenge all of that, as an openly gay man in a city that has welcomed his leadership in the past.
A partner in downtown Topeka restaurants Field of Greens and The Break Room, Schultz has been a part of Topeka’s business community as well as public service community for years.
“My family made it our mission to use our businesses as forces for positive change,” Schultz said. “At no cost to struggling businesses and local charities, we began producing the Topeka Newsletter and a Television/Radio/Web series called Talk About Topeka,” he said.
Schultz currently serves as a member of the board for Downtown Topeka, Inc., and is a member of numerous local advocacy organizations.
More than just being an honorary member of these organizations, his active participation has been recognized and applauded by the local community:
cjonline.com/...
Topekans Chris Schultz and Cole Harrington were honored Wednesday for quickly springing into action last month to prevent an early-morning structure fire in downtown Topeka from growing.
The Kansas Character Recognition Council of Topeka/Shawnee County honored Harrington and Schultz as Champions of Character for demonstrating the type of character that significantly improves the health, safety and quality of life in the community.
With a long track record of business ties and community service, Schultz entry into the race would normally be a story of local business leader taking on a new challenge.
But merely a mile or two away from where Schultz announces, Westboro Baptists continue their protests.
Could today be the day that a city known for being the home of LGBT hatred begins the journey of welcoming a prominent and out LGBT mayor? Chris Schultz certainly thinks so.
Learn more about his candidacy here.