By RORY MOORE
Tiger Media Network
The Fort Hays Gender and Sexuality Alliance organized a group effort in the Art and Design Building on Wednesday to design political signs with students for its participation in Equality Day on March 4. The Alliance will travel to the State Capitol in Topeka to sell flowers and join other groups in speaking on key issues facing the nation amid federal and state legislative action.
The Gender and Sexuality Alliance gathers in the Art and Design Building to design signs for its trip to Topeka for Equality Day. 
GSA president Annabeth Ratzlaff shows students drawing items. 
Annalise Mercer paints flowers onto a sign. 
Dereck Mesa traces colors in a Sisyphus he drew. 
Ryssa Schlaefli paints the words “No Human is Illegal On Stolen Lands” she wrote on her sign. 
The GSA will sell flowers at Equality Day during their visit at the State Capitol on March 4.
Annabeth Ratzlaff, the GSA president who is majoring in sociology and graphic design, had the idea of designing signs with students to build the Alliance’s presence at the event.
“Last semester, we were in charge of flower sales at the commencement area,” Ratzlaff said. “One thing we didn’t have were signs pointing out that we’re selling flowers and how much they are. I thought it could be a good idea to have them because it’s important for people to know what they’re buying, what they’re buying for, and how much things are.”
Members of the GSA will take these signs to convey their beliefs and raise awareness of issues like minority rights, immigration, and allyship.
“These signs are to show our opinions,” Ratzlaff said. “We want to communicate stuff that we want to see in the world today and changes we want to make.”
Ratzlaff wants the GSA members to cordially show where they stand on issues rather than protest at Topeka.
“It’s more of a peaceful walk to simulate, ‘Hey, this is stuff that we stand for.’” Ratzlaff said. “It’s our opinion that we want to put out into the world. It’s not necessarily a protest.”
While some students are unable to travel to the State Capitol, they show their support through their signs, which they design using various mediums.
“Other students are preparing this through making these signs and showing their support by saying, ‘Hey! I’m going to go!’” Ratzlaff said. “Some are like, ‘Hey! I’m going to stay behind, but I will be supporting you here by doing what I can from where I can!’”
For students like senior Ryssa Schlaefli, designing these signs is a mechanism of coping amid American politics.
“I’ve been feeling hopeless about the state of our country,” Sclaefli said. “As somebody who does not have the funds to do anything about it, it feels like doing anything is something to me, and it’s helping me cope. I’ve also wanted to protest, but I haven’t gotten out to doing it yet. So, I feel like if I start doing something to lead me in that direction, then I’ll get myself up to do it.”
Schlaefli designed her sign in the hopes of making a difference.
“My voice isn’t the one that necessarily matters,” Schlaefli said. “In history, no one group has ever been able to stand up for themselves if they’ve been discriminated against. They’ve always needed to reach out to other people who have the privilege to speak up for them. Whether they’re my friends or not, it doesn’t matter. You have to have a direct connection to somebody to speak up.”
The goals that Ratzlaff wants to achieve in Topeka are to educate people and encourage them to conduct their own research instead of depending on the word of others or media while engaging with others peacefully.
“I always prefer it whenever people do their own research on different things happening in the world or issues that we’re facing every day,” Ratzlaff said. “I also would like to see people treat us with respect. I don’t like violence, and that’s one thing I never want to see, especially in this community. I want to show them that violence is not the way these things can be done. Like adults, we could just talk face-to-face.”
While Equality Day comes amid recent bills passed that affect similar issues, Ratzlaff does not want it to influence people’s actions.
“Politics should never be coming into something peaceful, and difference of opinion is perfectly fine,” Ratlzaff said. “I love it when people have a difference of opinions, and they talk about these things. I don’t like it whenever somebody is screaming their opinions and shoving them into your face. It’s not my thing, and I’m not a big fan of it.”