The new leader of the nation’s largest gay and lesbian advocacy organization spent his first day on the job Tuesday in Kansas to pose the question: What’s next?

The visit by Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, came one week after the state voted overwhelmingly in favor of a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in the state.

The town hall meeting drew 75 people — mostly gays and their supporters looking for guidance and hope after the election — to the Hall Center for the Humanities at Kansas University.

“We’re feeling demoralized across the board, because of the Bush election and the events of last week,” said Catherine Crisp, an assistant professor in KU’s School of Social Welfare.

Solmonese’s stop in Kansas, the first on his national On the Road to Equality tour, also included a meeting with clergy in Topeka and a meeting with leaders at Sprint Corp. in Overland Park. Sprint offers benefits to same-sex partners of employees.

“I came here on my first day of work because I believe in the fair-mindedness and optimism of the people of Kansas,” Solmonese said.

He said he expected the amendment to be challenged in court.

Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, discusses issues surrounding the recent passage of the constitutional amendment outlawing gay marriage in Kansas. Solmonese led the town meeting Tuesday at the Hall Center for the Humanities on the Kansas University campus.

Solmonese urged gays in Kansas to tell their stories to their friends, family and co-workers. He also urged them to build on support from 132 pastors who signed a letter opposing the amendment.

He said priorities for the HRC would be to fight for equality in family laws, overturning the don’t-ask/don’t-tell policy in the military, increasing the number of states allowing gay marriage and improving workplace discrimination laws for gays.

“The lessons we learn here, we’re going to take nationally,” Solmonese said. “It is a long-term struggle.”

6News video: Human Rights Campaign leader makes stop at KU ( Analysis: Defense of ‘traditional’ marriage drew voters (04-11-05) Sebelius not warm to banning gay adoption (04-09-05) Marriage amendment raises adoption concerns (04-08-05) More about the Gay Marriage issue Human Rights Campaign

Kansas was the 18th state to approve a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. Statewide, the amendment passed 70 percent to 30 percent. Douglas County was the only county to reject the amendment, 68 percent to 32 percent.

Diane Silver, communications director for Kansans for Fairness, the statewide organization that fought against the amendment, said in some respects she found the vote results to be “totally crushing.” But she said there was hope in the grass-roots organization that took place during the campaign.

“The mistake (amendment supporters) made was they made this a statewide campaign, where the media had to cover us,” she said. “They couldn’t ignore us anymore. … We have made an amazing beginning. We are stronger than we were before.”