Omaha City Council votes on LGBT rights: Act 2

The second verse wasn't the same as the first.

Ben Gray was the articulate, indefatigable hero whose decades in broadcasting and articulate, persuasive summation served him well and probably saved the day.

Chris Jerram (who bemusedly said he thinks most of Omaha's gay population must live in his district) and Pete Festersen remained steadfast in their support of gay people.

KETV

Jean Stothert was still the most duplicitous, homophobic member of the council. At least she's consistent. Her ability to ask carefully constructed questions to which she already knows the answers — questions designed to make opponents of LGBT rights look like the victims they aren't — was something to behold. Mean girl Stothert, an individual AKSARBENT hopes it never meets, remains the very best argument anyone could ever make for attending high school as a boy even if you have to do it in drag.

Franklin Thompson finally got off the pot — but only to explore new frontiers of arrogance, camera/PR stupidity and insultingly ignorant hostility to gay people. If anyone breaks the stereotype of a black Republican, it won't be he. You'll know that Franklin is a teacher only because he managed to get the certificate when AKSARBENT posts video excerpts of his repulsive lecture to onlookers, and one or more of his gratuitous insults to the City of San Francisco, as if anyone there could possibly give a crap. Jean may be mean, but Dr. Thompson is a Mounds bar.

Tom Mulligan's steel trap mind was still closed and the welcome mat was securely locked inside.

Three to three once more, but this time there was a twist: we were completely fooled, and didn't have to scream any invectives later from the relative safety of across Farnam street after all.

Abracadabra!

Garry Gernandt, who sat on Ben Gray's right, and who received a very public apology from Gray, who had called him a political coward in an intemperate moment, was moved to tears by Gray's eloquently persuasive statement, and, after visibly hesitating during the roll call, voted in favor. (You can hear the crowd gasp in the video above.) We'll be posting video of Gray's moving remarks and Gernandt's sincere, heartfelt reaction. It was something to see. It will be our first of two more video posts. (If you can keep a secret, AKSARBENT thinks Gernandt's articulated exasperation at being bibled to death  made the 66-year-old ex-cop more amenable to teh gays.)

Mayor Suttle, the first person AKSARBENT saw after exiting the chambers, was standing alone on the sidewalk like a Walmart greeter would be on Black Friday if Walmart weren't open 24/7.

As AKSARBENT approached hizzoner, our cap blew off, which the mayor helpfully started to retrieve, but we got it ourself. What we wanted was his reaction, but he treated us exactly as the wind did our cap, politely blowing us off in favor of a later statement, which was: 

"I applaud the City Council for their actions today and I look forward to signing this ordinance into law.I want to thank Councilman Ben Gray for his dedication and leadership in bringing this action forward, not once but twice, and for working with community leaders and his colleagues on the council to find consensus for a final ordinance."

From where we sit, the Equal Omaha coalition did a fantastic job of marshaling gay people, straight people and coordinating organizations. They should do consulting. Gay people in Omaha got a huge amount of help from their straight friends. There are a LOT of Ben Grays in River City. Example: those pro-LGBT rights ads on TV last night weren't paid for by a gay group, but by Bold Nebraska. Thanks, Jane Kleeb (and Mr. Holland!)