Allyship & Leadership – Living Love Out Loud

Image is a photo of a Kansas sunset over a green wheat field. Storm clouds are on the horizon just above the tree line that is broken only by an old church and steeple. The sky is in soothing pink, coral, dusky purple and blue tones.

Kansas Is…

Published October 11, 2025 by Liz

“Kansas is a place I couldn’t fckn wait to leave growing up. And I did leave, the first chance I got after college.”

This statement launched my “Kansas Is” speech when it was my turn to present during a Leadership Kansas adventure this year. I’m sure it was shocking to some, either that I opened with a negative or that I used some explicit language, or both. I wasn’t going for shock value, though. I just needed to be real.

I’ve spent a decade doing my best to live authentically and combatting “Kansas Nice”. I refuse to speak hollow platitudes and niceties just because they’re palatable. They lack the depth of feeling and it’s too easy for them to be used as a protective mask for what’s genuine. Turns out, I really no longer know how to pretend to be anything other than REAL.

The chuckles and nods I saw from some of my classmates on the bus, all facing me from their seats while I stood awkwardly at the front with a microphone, told me I wasn’t alone. That was all the support I needed to not sugarcoat the rest. For the next few minutes, I stood, vulnerably facing about 40 people, and hit the main points of what I’ve captured here:

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We Are How We Treat Each Other and Nothing More

Published September 14, 2025 by Liz

Liz Hamor, a white woman with longish brown hair is sitting on the back of a gray convertible. She's wearing a teal t-shirt that says, "GLSEN + YOU = CHANGE" with a long sleeve white t-shirt underneath. Her eyes are lowered. Maybe she's praying, maybe she's talking to the driver. Either way, she looks somber. — Wichita Pride Parade, Pride Marshall, September 2016

“Well, I didn’t get shot!”

I said these surreal words to my best friend after she asked me at the end of the Pride Parade how it went. She enthusiastically responded, “Yay! I prayed that you wouldn’t get shot!”

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Community Agreements Part 2

Published August 16, 2022 by Liz

This blog post is moving to Center of Daring’s website: www.centerofdaring.com

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Me llaman hermana – They Call Me Sister

Published November 3, 2020 by Liz

*Scroll down for English.*

La semana pasada escuché mi álbum favorito de hace más de 20 años, y lloré. Voces Unidas fue el álbum de los Juegos Olímpicos de Atlanta en 1996. Cuando yo estaba en la universidad, estas canciones le hablaban a mi corazón tierno y esperanzado. Son canciones de abrazar la diversidad para alcanzar un sueño colectivo, de esperanza, de paz, de un mundo nuevo.

Rápidamente aprendí que cambiar el mundo no era tan fácil como una esperanza y un sueño. Se necesita TRABAJO. De hecho, el mundo se ha vuelto francamente aterrador para las personas que mantienen identidades marginadas a pesar del trabajo. Sin embargo, al escuchar otra vez esas canciones, sentí ESPERANZA de todos modos. ¿Por qué? Porque estoy en esta lucha con personas quienes esperan y sueñan conmigo, quienes están en esta lucha conmigo y yo con ellos. Y mientras escuchaba esta música, este poema llenó mi alma:

Me llaman hermana.

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Are You There God? It’s Me, Liz.

Published February 26, 2019 by Liz

The ache in my jaw told me they were coming. It always cramps when BIG tears are threatening. People walked to and fro outside of my office door, so I had to hold the body-wracking sobs at bay until I was alone. My jaw ached more. My throat tightened. I used the pain to focus and push through what I needed to do. Kids are counting on me and I was just reminded that I’ve failed another.

I made it two more hours, working to ensure that LGBTQ students feel safe in schools. (And let’s be real, hoping to change society at the same time.) Then I posted the following to FaceBook before leaving my office for home:

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Love That Feels Like Love

Published February 24, 2019 by Liz

“I love you whether you’re gay or straight. Or bi. Or pansexual. Or asexual. I love you whether you’re a boy or girl, or both, or neither. Not only will I love you, I will protect you and your friends fiercely. You know, I love you no matter what.”

This weekend, for the umpteenth time, I needed to make sure that my kids know that whoever they are, whoever they love, I will actively, fiercely love them.

Also this weekend, the United Methodist General Conference is meeting to discuss whether they will split over fully embracing their LGBTQ members. In 2019, many people are still confused about how to love each other in a way that makes people feel loved, which shows me they are still confused about God’s Love.

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Open Letter to Wichita Public Library

Published December 18, 2018 by Liz

Dear Wichita Public Library,

My name is Liz Hamor. My pronouns are she/her. I am the Director of GLSEN Kansas, a local chapter of a national organization that works with K-12 schools to ensure that every member of every school community is valued and respected regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

I wanted to applaud you for hosting an event with Drag Queens at the library in September (during Pride week). I work with hundreds of LGBTQ students and adults, and wanted to take a few moments to explain why visible community support is crucial.

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Doing Allyship: It’s Not About You

A screengrab of the dictionary definition of stochastic terrorism

Doing Allyship: It’s Not About You

Published December 15, 2018 by Liz

Many people who want to be called “allies” aren’t actually willing to put in the work to do allyship. Sometimes it’s just because they don’t know how and need some help. Other times it’s because they still need to learn one of the main lessons of doing allyship: It’s not about them. It’s not about receiving praise. Or about their own feelings. And it’s definitely not about staying comfortable while others LIVE uncomfortably.

Several months ago family members chastised me for commenting on another family member’s FaceBook posts that included a meme that had homophobic undertones. Now, the well-intentioned family member who posted it didn’t realize it held homophobic undertones, and I was aware of that. However, I know from experience that there are at least two groups of people who would recognize the bias… LGBTQ people, and those who are anti-LGBTQ. Which takes me to my first rules of allyship:

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#WontBeErased

Published October 24, 2018 by Liz

I sometimes feel like losing my cool isn’t professional, but sometimes one has to be allowed to be human, right? Maybe I’m not always professional. Maybe sometimes I’m just real.

Well, I’m so ANGRY today, this week, for what this administration is doing to my trans friends. The emotional turmoil that they’re going through, the heartache, fear, anger of a government trying to erase them. Let. that. sink. in.