About us
The purpose of a caucus within a political party is to raise awareness for a specific interest. The Kansas Democratic LGBTQ+ Caucus, in partnership with the Kansas Democratic Party, endeavors to shine a light on the struggles of the LGBTQ+ community and to do everything within our political power to ensure the rights of every LGBTQ+ Kansan.
Meet the members of our Executive Board, elected at the Kansas Democratic Party’s Washington Days 2022.
As outlined in the bylaws, the Executive Board consists of a Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, and the immediate previous Chair. The bylaws also state that the Board may appoint two representatives to the KDP State Committee who are not members of the Board, but represent the Board and its interests at KDP State Committee meetings.
Jae Moyer, Immediate Past President
Jae Moyer (They/Them) was elected as the president of the LGBTQ+ Caucus in 2022, but has served as both the Treasurer and one of the two State Committeepeople since joining the Board in 2019. They are also the Vice Chair of Equality Kansas of Metro Kansas City, and was a candidate for Johnson County Community College Board of Trustees in 2021, earning 33,161 votes in Johnson County. They also served as a Biden delegate to the 2020 Democratic National Convention. Jae graduated from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in 2018 with a certificate in Musical Theatre Performance.
(Insta: blue.kansan) (Twitter: @jaemoyerks)
Brandie Armstrong, President
Abbey Killinger, Secretary
Abbey has spent her life living and learning across the state of Kansas. She got involved with politics as a teenager and has continued to pursue roles to advocate for change at a broader level. She believes young people have a lot to contribute to emerging conversations and moving the party forward. Abbey is now the secretary of the LGBTQ caucus, but first got involved as the state committee person to advocate for more gender inclusive language within the party. With degrees in social work and secondary education Abbey uses her passion for helping people in her daily life to aid them in meeting their goals and gaining independence. She lives with her partner and two dogs, pancake and waffles, in the capital city of Topeka.
(Insta: ms.kill_injure) (Twitter: @misskillinger)
Rhonda Cox, Treasurer
Carolyn Marie-Fugit, Vice President
Shanna Henry, State Committeeperson
How we work.
A caucus can do many things to raise awareness for a specific issue, from statewide events to canvassing and phone banking. The Kansas Democratic LGBTQ+ Caucus is dedicated to creating a network of people that stays informed on local, statewide, and federal happenings in regards to LGBTQ+ issues. We believe outreach is the foundation to creating change, which we know can be achieved through our strategic organization of canvassing and phone banking volunteer opportunities. This will allow a chance for our members to get out into the community and reach community members, and by doing so, we will continue to raise community awareness on the candidates and issues that are vital to ensuring equality for all.
What we believe.
We firmly stand by the belief that absolutely no one should be treated less than another individual or denied access based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. We strive to embody the tenacity of our late chairwoman, Stephanie Mott, who would often go door to door in Topeka, her hometown, trying to educate people on the issues. We do this because it is our understanding and agreement that she believed that many acts of injustice were born from a place of ignorance. If we, as LGBTQ+ Democrats, are to truly preach a message of "Equality, Education, and Opportunity", then it is our belief that we must always remain open minded and speak with understanding when we engage with those whose beliefs and views differ from our own. But, we will do so while continuing to never back down to those that seek do harm and cause injustice in the world.
