Multimedia Reporting (Bradford-Utsler)

Rundle's life a year after coming out to Lawrence residents and family

When Mike Rundle announced he was gay during his State of the City Address on April 12 a year ago, he had yet to tell everyone in his immediate family about his sexual orientation, including his father and two of seven siblings.

“It is with dignity and pride that I acknowledge that I have been Lawrence's mayor and, in all likelihood, Lawrence's first gay mayor,” Rundle said in his address.

Rundle, who was ending his second term as the mayor of Lawrence, was in fact Lawrence’s first gay mayor. He has been involved in Lawrence politics as a city commissioner since 1987. Rundle had wanted to serve as an openly gay mayor, but planned to come out to his family first, he said. Only after coming out to some of his family near the end of his term as mayor did Rundle publicly announce his sexual orientation.

Source: www.lawrenceks.org

Mike Rundle, city commissioner

“It’s a matter of knowing someone who’s gay,” Rundle said about reactions to homosexuality. After his announcement on April 12, Rundle wrote his father a letter and e-mailed the last of his siblings to tell them what all of Lawrence knew. One of Rundle’s main concerns was his brother and sister-in-law’s reaction though.

“We have one sibling who is really conservative religiously,” said Kate Van Zandt, one of Rundle’s sisters.

At the same time none of the siblings would stop loving another one, because he or she is gay, she said.

Van Zandt had been one of the first of the siblings Rundle told he was gay. It was not long before Christmas, she remembered.

“He said he wanted to give me an early Christmas present. ’Actually, I want to give myself an early present,’” she recalls her brother saying. “He wanted to be who he was and not hide anything,” Van Zandt said.

To Rundle’s relief, his brother and sister-in-law’s reaction was a positive one, like the applause and congratulating e-mails he received from the community after his public announcement. As a matter of fact, his brother’s nephew had come out months before.

While Rundle doesn’t believe his announcement will affect his re-election in 2007, it echoes a note of personal change in his life.

“I felt fairly free, but I didn’t realize what really free was,” Rundle said. “It’s frustrating to not have your whole being expressed or recognized.”

Even with his completed freedom, he said the announcement was never something he agonized over.

After his announcement media outlets from in and out-of-state wanted a word with Rundle. Radio stations from Kansas to California called to talk to him. He walked in gay pride parades in Wichita and Lawrence, and gave speeches on his personal story.

“I became a focal point for a lot of people who were interested in equal rights,” he said.

Source: The University Daily Kansan

Mike Rundle, Lawrence city commissioner, listens to a Lawrence resident during a city commission meeting on April 19 in City Hall. Rundle announced he was gay at his State of the City Address the week before.

Click here to see Channel 6 News' video on Rundle's State of the City Address in 2005.

At one point though, some people thought Rundle’s sexual orientation could be used against him. Rumors were whispered in Lawrence about Rundle being gay as he ran for city commissioner in 2003. These “whisper campaigns,” as Rundle calls them, had little effect on the election results. Rundle was re-elected as a city commissioner with the highest number of votes of the six candidates running for positions on the city commission. He received 8,659 votes, a thousand more than Dennis “Boog” Highberger, who had the second highest number of votes at 7,582. Rundle was later appointed vice-mayor in 2003, before becoming mayor in April 2004.

People realized that sexual orientation has no direct relations on how elected officials work, Rundle said.

“People look at how you run the city,” he said. “That’s more important than your private life.”

Rundle remembers one elderly couple that went out of their way to tell him they supported him as they came through his cashier line while he was working at The Merc, a grocery store at 901 Iowa St. He also received e-mail from people around the community who said they supported him and his announcement at the State of the City Address.

He doesn’t think the acceptance of his sexual preference and positive reaction was a result of Lawrence and its liberal label though.

Rundle said he doesn’t even think Lawrence is as accepting as its liberal label might suggest.

“Lawrence has a perception of being a liberal haven,” Rundle said. “That’s not entirely true.” Even if Rundle had served openly as Lawrence’s first gay mayor, he said it wouldn’t have made a difference on how he chose to use his time as mayor. He said this was mainly because so much comes at the city commission. According to Rundle the city commissioners are not paid well enough to quit their other jobs. Each city commissioner makes $9,000 a year according to Lori Carnahan, the city’s personnel manager. The mayor makes $10,000 a year. Rundle estimated that city commissioners work 20 or more hours a week, on top of other jobs. This equals out to about $8.65 per hour. City commissioners often have second jobs, like Rundle. Having several jobs leaves Rundle straining for time though.

“I haven’t spent the time I feel is necessary with the city commission,” Rundle said.

City commissioners could easily work about 40 hours on city issues a week. City Commissioners and the mayor meet every Tuesday night for city commission meetings. Each month the commission holds one to two study sessions to go over specific city issues more in-depth. Commissioners might also attend meetings with trade boards or the city planning commission. Rundle said he has sometimes worked up to 40 hours a week for the commission, even with his other job as a head cashier for The Merc. As a cashier he works about 40 hours a week. Between the two jobs and Rundle's personal life he often feels pressed for time, he said.

If Rundle has to decide right now whether he wants to run for re-election in 2007, to be a part of the vision making process for Lawrence he said his answer would be yes. Scheduling in personal time weighs on him though.

Rundle has personal goals for himself outside the city commission. One of these personal goals is spending more time with his father, who is over 80 years old.

“I don’t have forever to spend with him,” Rundle said.

Barn dancing is another personal item on Rundle’s list to make more time for. He has been involved with barn dancing for about 25 years. Originally he began dancing to develop a better relationship with his grandfather. Rundle even received a Folk Art Apprentice Grant for about $500 from the Kansas Arts Commission to work with his grandfather on barn dancing. Shortly after, his grandfather experienced a heart attack, weakening his health.

Even after the death of his grandfather, Rundle continues to make barn dancing a part of his life. Barn dancing, the city commission and being gay are all part of Mike Rundle’s life.

“[Being gay is] part of my… a small part of my identity, my experience,” Rundle said.