marriage equality backlash

[rm]

As most of you know, there's been some great strides on the gay marriage issue in the last week.

As perhaps fewer of you know (but most of you can surmise), opponents of marriage equality aren't happy and are putting more money, more time, more rhetoric into opposing equal rights for LGBTQ people.

To be frank, I haven't had the time or the fortitude yet to watch the commercials their currently putting forward. I have read the transcripts, though, and I have read the reports that the people claiming to be regular citizens are in fact hired actors.

But I am alarmed. And concerned. And offended.

Regardless of whether you are queer or not, regardless of whether you are an LGBTQ who has any intention of ever taking part in marriage (is it assimilationist? does it fit with our unique cultures? -- these are valid, serious questions) -- this measure of legal equality needs to exist.

But even more than that, the fear-mongering and the anger of people of privilege discovering that they can no longer control the discourse or the lives of others, must not go unaddressed.

I'm old enough to have experienced and witnessed harassment and violence because of the orientation and identity of my friends and myself. It's barely a reality anymore in many places in this country. But it's still real. It still happens. Here, at home. And also, in terrifying measure, abroad.

I want to believe change can come without violence. But I see the rhetoric from the self-proclaimed defenders of so-called traditional marriage, and it's hard, really hard for me to believe that.

I came of age during the ACT UP protests. I wore a t-shirt that showed SILENCE=DEATH in ASL.

Speak.
Speak.
Speak.

bodlon does here with links to the offending campaigns.

Comments

[gement.livejournal.com]

I want to speak, and I'm not sure where. Input appreciated.

My LJ is an echo chamber, and other people have already spread this news far and wide throughout my friendslist. I would reach no changeable minds there.

My workplace is generally progressive, and the topic does not come up because We Do Not Discuss Politics At Work, which I think is healthy and appropriate.

I'm nearly a recluse in my day to day life; I socialize with fewer than a dozen people outside of work on a regular basis. (Yeesh, I hadn't counted. It really is that small.) Definitely no changeable minds there.

My experience with written word (which I'm good at) is that I can only really absorb written word that I already agree with, and can only be persuaded to change my mind about six inches to either direction in print. Anything further than that just rolls off as "crazies on the internet." I have to assume mine would look the same to people who disagree with me.

I live near a college campus. Sometimes there are changeable minds there, I suppose. I don't know in what format to reach people, though.

I present myself as visibly gender-flexible in my day to day life and don't hide my queerness/polyness/etc in conversation, for what's that worth. But I'd like to do more and I don't know where.

Any suggestions from the peanut gallery would be appreciated. (I'm in Seattle, if anyone's plugging particular events there.)

[rm.livejournal.com]

Two ideas.

One: Facebook. If you use Facebook like I do (which is not really) it means people from you past friends you there and you have no idea what their politics are. For a lot of people I know, it's a place to get the message out to folks who aren't necessarily on board, without having to do a lot of direct interaction, because it isn't their home space.

Two: the echo chamber isn't bad. If we remind everyone to speak, eventually we remind someone to speak who has access to people who don't, who might need to hear what they have to say -- either to become active in a cause they agree with but have not participated in; or to reach out to people they may know who are anti-marriage equality and haven't been challenged to think about their stance.

[gement.livejournal.com]

I am encouraged. Thank you.