This piece was submitted to ‘N Touch News to post on the blog for comment.
Activist n. A proponent or practitioner of activism: political activists.
The LGBT Community, although the name has changed many times over the years, has always been one to stand up for itself. The point this became most apparent was during the events now known as Stonewall. People who left their homes that day to go enjoy an evening out, were in reality about to make history. They did not have a meeting about it, they certainly did not have Facebook, cell phones, texting or other means to communicate in advance or in real time about it. Individuals made a choice to stand up for not only themselves, but all of us who have arrived in the community since.
Today, not a day goes by that an announcement of some sort does not arrive in some fashion about a cause to be won, a fight to be fought, or an underdog needing protection in one way or another. So how do we choose which fight? How is it decided who represents the “community” in deciding what will happen next?
Quite frankly, there are no rules! Activists are often the loudest or most visible, but they do not always represent the voice of the “community” that they belong to. They can be the person with the most time on their hands, the most money to spend, the most passion/political conviction or simply have the loudest voice. They may be the person and opinion you support or you may only have a letter of the alphabet in common with them.
They may also simply be the person who has had enough. Most of us are familiar with Rosa Parks. A seat, a segregated bus, and an elderly woman who was tired of it. The story changes depending on who the source is, but there is no reason to try to dispute the facts. The results of her actions, intended or otherwise, have had a lasting impact on our country as we know it.
Did she do it by herself? No. Actions, protests, deaths, and violence were happening all around her for years leading up to the changes that would follow.
Despite our common link in the LGBT community, many of us our separated in other ways. Generational, gender, ethnic, religious and other differences can at times divide us. Women often times feel their struggle has been more difficult; many were not afforded an opportunity to participate in sports at any level, much less as a career option. There are now female generals when prior to 1976 women were not even allowed to attend the service academies. African American history, Protestant, Irish, or any other defining group attribute bring up a variety of historical struggles. A simple law, SB1070, is bringing up questions and issues friends never knew they disagreed on.
Maybe I am ok with Civil Unions and you want Marriage only. Don’t Ask Don’t Tell may not seem as bad to me as to you since I may have served and suffered in the military before it existed. You may not care if the “T” is included in ENDA and I may be the one saying to throw it out if the “T” in our community is not included. The list of our battles in the war for LGBT equal rights could go on and on. And we might differ on what the stance should be on many of them.
You do not need to be my kind of activist, nor participate in my activism. The rights I am fighting for will be yours also whether you stand next to me or not. If we win, we all win. But worse yet, if we lose, we all lose.
Just remember, there are activists on all sides of every issue. For every person who is passionate about equal rights for the LGBT community, there may be someone equally passionate about keeping it from happening. We should not criticize their passion even if we do not support what they are using it for.
So please do not become another enemy…do not divide the community by pointing fingers, or spending time inflating egos. And do not criticize the people that you feel are battling for your rights incorrectly, unless you are out there showing them the “right” way to do it. As a community, our diversity should be our strength, not what keeps us from attaining equal rights for everyone.
Signed,
An Activist Who is Still Trying to Learn How to Get it Right