Citizens Project

Create Isolation? Not us!

26th March, 2010

Now we invite you to join us to make our community a better place. We are creating a louder voice for inclusion, diversity and equal rights by collecting stories, creating conversations, and telling a new, powerful story of Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak region.

Today, we want to hear more about you.

Tell us your story. Tell us about your personal experiences of diversity, discrimination, inclusion, or isolation. Tell us about a time you felt unwelcome or devalued in our community, and tell us about a time you felt included and respected. Tell us what you wish for Colorado Springs and our region, and how you think Citizens Project can help residents make a difference.

• Make your voice heard – leave a comment below
• Connect with us on Facebook
• Send us an email

We look forward to hearing from you!

Who is Simply Divine? John Weiss, of course!

23rd February, 2010

Nearly 150 community members came out to support John Weiss, the 2010 Divine Award recipient on February 18, 2010. Watch it here, and check out the photos below, courtesy of Rob Larimer.

Citizens Project raises $2,685.87 through Give! Campaign

28th January, 2010

Thanks to the generosity of supporters in this community and Give! Campaign partners, Citizens Project raised more than $2,500 in the inaugural Give! Campaign. Congratulations to all participating organizations on a tremendous success, and thank you to all the philanthropists who gave through the campaign! 

Photo courtesy of Cayton Photography

Pictured above: Executive Director Barb Van Hoy with Independent publisher John Weiss and a really, really big check!

City’s Light Pole Banner Story on KRDO

20th January, 2010

Here’s Tak Landrock’s story about the banner issue:

KRDO Banner Story

Citizens Project is working to ensure that the U.S. Constitution’s religious freedom guarantees are upheld in the new city’s code regulating such banners.

Change Begins With Me

15th January, 2010

2010 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration and March

Saturday, January 16, 2010

3:30pm – 5:45 pm

Keynote Speaker: The Honorable Terrance Carroll, Colorado’s Speaker of the House of Representatives

Please meet at Armstrong Hall (14 E. Cache La Poudre St., Colorado College Campus) at 3:30 for the march, with celebration to follow. Questions? Contact Jennifer @ 719-660-1435

There’s an app for that? HRC’s “Buying for Equality” iPhone app

6th January, 2010

Thanks Amy Gillentine at the Colorado Springs Business Journal for reporting:

The Human Rights Campaign released the first-ever “Buying for Equality” iPhone application. This guide will allow shoppers to access its guide for equality as they are shopping to see how hundreds of popular American brands are rated based on the businesses’ treatment of their LGBT employees.

Now let’s make the City of Colorado Springs eligible for inclusion on the “good list” by passing Plus One employee health benefits, which includes domestic partners (gay and straight)! Here is the latest Gazette Opinion piece in support.

A Celebration of History

28th December, 2009

A Celebration of History: Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day & Barack Obama’s Inauguration

January 18, 2010

Colorado Technical University, 4435 N. Chestnut St., Colorado Springs, CO

Meet & Greet: 11:00 – 11:30am

African American Resources: 11:30am – 12:30pm

Lunch: 12:30pm – 1:30pm

Cost: $25 per person

Please RSVP by January 15, 2010 to Dr. James Tucker @ 719-528-1954

Take Action: Vote for Plus One in Colorado Springs!

18th December, 2009

Our Plus One city employee health benefits proposal is in the news again today and the Gazette has posted an online poll about it. A strong showing of support in the poll and on the letters page of the Gazette could make the difference in showing City Council that there is enough public support to pass the plan. PLEASE ACT NOW!

• Vote for Plus One in the Gazette’s online poll (click here and scroll down, in the right-hand column).

• Forward this and ask your friends and colleagues to do the same.

• Write to the City Council and ask them to pass Plus One. Click here for a list of City Council Members and contact information. You can also email all council members at allcouncil@springsgov.com.

• Write a letter to the editor and post on online comment voicing your support for the plan. Send to opinion@gazette.com.

City Council members pay attention to these, so your letters and vote MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Read the story and take the poll here:  http://www.gazette.com/articles/city-90978-employees-href.html

You can find some talking points in Barb Van Hoy’s comment posted in the Gazette’s online comment section, reprinted here:

“The “Plus One” policy being proposed by Citizens Project would allow all city employees to buy into the city’s employee health insurance plan for one family member, if they are not already eligible for benefits for a spouse or dependent children. It is not really accurate to call this a “same-sex benefits” plan because that is only one of several types of qualifying family members. Employees could add an adult dependent child, a dependent parent, a domestic partner, or dependent grandparent. The employee would pay the full premium, rather than be subsidized by the city as current family members are (and as the 2003 policy did for same-sex couples that cost the cit $6,000). That’s one reason it is budget-neutral (the premium covers the full per-participant cost in the health plan.) The other reason it is cost-neutral is that the demographic population as a whole that is projected to buy in is not expected to increase the overall costs (based on the analyses of benefits experts).

Now is the time for Colorado Springs to begin catching up to the private sector, as well as the most successful cities across the country by adopting better, more inclusive employment practices. Whatever your personal opinion on same-sex couples, or single mothers or 35 year-old kids living with mom & dad, the fact is that our society includes a huge diversity of families. Competitive employers do right by their employees by adopting more inclusive plans, and our city should to. Attracting the best employees will get the best use out of our limited tax dollars. In addition, it is not government’s role to enforce a religious view of relationships on its employees, so arguments labeling some people’s families as “immoral” are moot. Government should treat all citizens equally. The Plus One plan doesn’t get all the way there, but it is an improvement, expands access to health care, treats all employees more equally, makes the city a more competitive employer, and won’t cost taxpayers a dime. Seems like a pretty good deal to me.”

The People Speak – Sunday Dec. 13

11th December, 2009

Teaching Tolerance invites you to watch The People Speak, a documentary film based on the works of social activist and educator Howard Zinn, A People’s History of the United States and Voices of a People’s History of the United States, co-authored with Anthony Arnove and reviewed by Teaching Tolerance magazine.

The People Speak features dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries and speeches of everyday Americans who spoke up for social change, equality and justice throughout U.S. history and helped form and protect the democracy we enjoy today.

The words of suffragists, civil rights leaders, anti-war proponents and labor leaders are brought to life by actors and singers like Matt Damon, Bob Dylan, Danny Glover, Bruce Springsteen, Morgan Freeman, Marisa Tomei and many others.

The film reminds all of us that we must remain active in our communities to promote and preserve social justice and equality. Clips of The People Speak and a classroom study guide for your students are available at History.com.

We welcome your feedback.
You can reach us online

or by mail:
Teaching Tolerance
c/o Southern Poverty Law Center
400 Washington Ave.
Montgomery, AL 36104