Mission
Mainstream Coalition is dedicated to creating a more representative and responsive government by empowering informed participation and meaningful action in the political process.
Vision
We envision a Kansas political system that equitably represents all of its constituents.
Guiding Principles
Our guiding principles are essential to who we are and inform how we approach our work. As we strive to empower an informed electorate, we are committed to upholding these tenets in everything we do.
Separation of Religion & Government
Almost 30 years ago in his sermon, The Dangers of Religion, our founding chairman Dr. Robert H. Meneilly warned of the encroachment of religious doctrine into the public space. While our sphere of advocacy has grown over the years, this founding principle still informs our work today.
Mainstream supports the constitutional guarantee of the separation of religion and government which protects the right of all Kansans to practice the faith of their choice, or none at all. We believe strongly that there is no place for government to impede the practice of one’s faith, nor for religion to govern the people.
Cross-Partisanship
Participating in democratic processes is inherently political, but does not have to be ideological. We believe in the transformative impact of coalition-building across party lines. The greatest opportunity for meaningful change exists in the space between political and ideological divides.
Equitable Representation
We acknowledge intersectional diversity, and believe that our differences are the strengths that bring us closer to building a more representative Kansas. By intentionally creating space for underrepresented voices, we seek to identify and help eliminate barriers to full participation in the political process.
2022 Priorities
Change will not happen unless we fight for it. Mainstream works with our members and partners around the state to advocate for equitable representation and sustainable public policy in Topeka and our local communities. While we take a stance on a number of commonsense issues affecting Kansans, our priorities are intended to articulate specific policy goals on the issues central to our founding: respect for the rights, beliefs, and freedoms of all individuals.
LGBTQ Equality
Mainstream was founded on the belief that all people are created equal, but many of the policies, practices, and systems that govern us perpetuate discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
In 2014, Mainstream was a part of the grassroots effort to pass an inclusive nondiscrimination ordinance in Roeland Park -- the first in Johnson County, and only the second in the state at that time. Since then we have championed similar measures across Kansas. Today, 21 municipalities have nondiscrimination protections covering approximately 1.5 million LGBTQ Kansans.
In 2022, multiple pieces of legislation will likely be introduced to undermine equality including continued attacks on transgender youth and their families, repealing and prohibiting local nondiscrimination protections, and using “religious freedom” to justify discrimination.
Mainstream Coalition actively supports:
- Amending the Kansas Act Against Discrimination to include sexual orientation and gender identity among the existing protected classes.
- Banning the harmful practice of sexual orientation/gender identity “conversion therapy” for minors.
- Repealing existing statutes that use “sincerely held religious beliefs” to justify excluding LGBTQ Kansans from public life and public resources.
Public Education
Mainstream believes that an holistic approach to education – pre-K through college – is essential to meeting the academic and social-emotional needs of students and requires equitable opportunities for every student free of religious or ideological influence.
In 2022, Kansas students and local education professionals are in the crosshairs of religious and political zealots. Couched in false narratives surrounding student achievement, legislators will attempt to undermine public education by siphoning public money to private and religious schools, controlling school curricula, and banning access to books and educational materials deemed “too controversial.”
Mainstream Coalition actively supports:
- Constitutionally suitable public education funding by eliminating vouchers and similar programs that use public dollars to subsidize non accredited programs and institutions or private schools that promote religion.
- Fostering an inclusive education environment for all students free of censorship, disinformation, and political or religious agendas.
- Keeping decisions about curriculum and student wellbeing with local professionals and educators, not politicians or outside interest groups.
Redistricting & Voter Rights
Mainstream believes in one voice, one vote – that each person who casts a vote should be equal to every other voter. A fundamental way to protect this basic principle of democracy is by creating fair voting districts. The KS legislature is drawing maps that will determine our state and federal representation for the next decade. The redistricting process has been anything but transparent with the legislative Redistricting Committees failing to issue rules to guide public participation and scheduling opportunities for public testimony with short notice and lack of appropriate access.
In 2022, we fear that our state and Congressional maps will be exactly what legislative majority leadership publicly called for – a gerrymandered map that prioritizes politics over people and leaves the votes of non-Christian, non-straight, non-white, and other routinely undermined communities at risk of being scattered and powerless.
Mainstream Coalition actively supports:
- A transparent redistricting process with adequate public input that results in fair maps based on equitable distribution of voting power across the state, not partisan gerrymandering.
- Repealing existing statutes that suppress the constitutional right of voters to choose who represents them.
- Increasing voting access through measures such as protecting ballot drop box locations, maintaining current mail ballot timeline, and enacting no-excuse permanent absentee/mail-in voting for all registered voters.
Reproductive Rights
Mainstream Coalition believes everyone has a right to access affordable quality healthcare free of discrimination and undue burden. Since our founding, we have supported an individual's right to make their own decisions about their reproductive health.
In a special election on August 2, 2022, an amendment to the Kansas Constitution, fueled by “moral objection,” will be put before Kansas voters that would remove this decision from the individual and instead enable legislators to pass sweeping legislation that restricts this right. This is the first step towards the Kansas legislature effectively ending access to legal and medically safe abortions, including for victims of rape or incest. By holding this special election alongside the August primary – a time when voter turnout is traditionally low – proponents hope to rally their supporters and turn out the vote in their favor. We can’t let that happen.
Mainstream Coalition will actively engage to fight this amendment by:
- Advocating for an individual’s reproductive rights as guaranteed in the Kansas Constitution.
- Educating voters about the confusing language included in the proposed constitutional amendment and what is at stake.
- Empowering informed participation in the August special election.
Statement of Inclusion
The Mainstream Coalition celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive atmosphere in our workplace, forums, and conversations. We embrace our differences as strengths. The Mainstream Coalition prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, political affiliation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, or military status.