Is Lincoln More Open-Minded Than Omaha?

By: Mr. Wilson on April 19, 2012

The City Council will soon consider a proposal that would expand certain legal protections to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people by making those groups a "protected class". Omaha recently considered a similar proposal. Husker football assistant coach Ron Brown got into hot water for speaking out against that proposal without making clear that he was not speaking as a University employee. Councilman Carl Eskridge will present the proposal to the Council. He thinks things will go more smoothly in Lincoln than they did in Omaha.

Eskridge said he doesn't expect to see the kind of controversy that occurred in Omaha, where about 100 people testified at the public hearing, including filmmaker Alexander Payne and assistant Nebraska football coach Ron Brown. "We are a closer knit community, kinder and more understanding," Eskridge said. "We like to do things differently."

I may be wrong, but ... hogwash. If anything I predict more controversy, more hubbub, and more news-making events. Why wouldn't there be? Both sides have more momentum than they did leading up to the Omaha vote. Proponents here in Lincoln can point to Omaha, not to mention every other Big Ten city, and say "we should be like them". Opponents will be extra-motivated, having already lost the state's largest city. And then there's the sub-circus around Ron Brown. Will he speak out? Will he be fired? Call me cynical if you must, but I don't see Lincolnites all gathering together to toast our progressiveness and sing Kumbaya. I foresee many bumps ahead.

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meatball

April 20, 2012 at 2:27PM

Eskridge completely out of touch if he truly believes what he said.

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