News release prepared by: Natalie Blair, 785-826-2642, nblair@k-state.edu

Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009

PRESENTATION BY TRANSGENDERED SPEAKER RYAN SALLANS NOV. 23 AT K-STATE AT SALINA

SALINA -- Ryan Sallans, a transgendered individual whose presentations focus on honoring and respecting who you are, will speak at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 23, in the College Center Conference Room at Kansas State University at Salina.

The presentation is free and open to the public.

Sallans also will speak to classes in K-State at Salina's family studies and human services program Tuesday, Nov. 24.

Sallans' visit to K-State at Salina is being funded in part by the college's Student Governing Association, which recently voted to provide $600 to help bring him to campus. The money will cover his speaking fee. The association originally was asked to provide $1,000 to bring Sallans to campus. After the request did not pass, more than 50 K-State at Salina students signed a petition in support of bringing him to campus.

"Students also donated a lot of their own money toward bringing this speaker to campus and they donated it $1 or $5 at a time," said Shae Blackwell, senior in family studies and human services, Spearville, and student body vice president at K-State at Salina. "That says a lot about how much the student body wants to hear his message."

"Bringing Mr. Sallans to campus will be an excellent opportunity for all students to broaden their horizons and will strengthen our new and growing family studies and human services program," said Brian Koester, senior in professional pilot, Ankeny, Iowa, and K-State at Salina student body president.

The private donations to bring Sallans to campus will be used to cover costs incurred with his visit, including lodging and travel expenses.

According to Blackwell, Sallans' meeting with students in the family studies and human services program will be used to start a campus organization in support of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered individuals.