Box Turtle Bulletin
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobby“Now you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife…”
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyThis commentary is the opinion of the author and may not necessarily reflect that of other authors at this site.
January 13th, 2009
Much energy has been expended in the past few days in debating and discussing the conflicts and issues where race and sexual orientation overlap. And it is my hope that this discussion yields action rather than reaction and resolve rather than blame.
As I’ve said in prior commentary, I believe “do nothing, say nothing” is an ineffective and nonproductive choice. However, finger-pointing and grudge-holding is foolish and more counterproductive than playing Three Wise Monkeys. It does us no good to identify communities (whether ethnic, religious, or geographic) in which we do not enjoy voter support if we then do nothing but feel good that we are not part of that demographic.
Many of us may not “speak the language”, know the culture, or have the connections necessary to bring about change in communities other than that in which we live. But we each have the power to support those who do have the language, culture, and connection to bring about a greater understanding of the concerns of gay men and women.
The following is a small selection of groups who are dedicated to working in specific populations to build bridges and work for equality. This is not by any means a comprehensive list, and I am not endorsing any of them.
But these that have come to my attention as groups that work in communities that may be beyond the abilities of many of our readers to reach. And I believe that these organizations could make a difference in changing the perspectives of their communities.
Ethnic Communities
One organization that I’ve noticed is the National Black Justice Coalition. And when their name has come up it seems to be linked to successes in bringing about inclusion and breaking down barriers.
Their website states
The National Black Justice Coalition is a civil rights organization dedicated to empowering Black same-gender-loving, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. The Coalition works with our communities and our allies for social justice, equality, and an end to racism and homophobia. NBJC envisions a world where all people are fully empowered to participate safely, openly and honestly in family, faith and community, regardless of race, gender-identity or sexual orientation.
If you would like to financially contribute to NBJC, you may do so here. And guess what, folks, you don’t have to be black to support an end to racism and homophobia.
(I’ve not yet identified effective national organizations whose purpose is bridge building with Hispanic, Asian, or other significant ethnic voting blocks).
Religious Adherents
Those who attend conservative churches are often exposed to language that is dismissive, demonizing, or factually inaccurate. And efforts by gay organizations to discourage religion-based homophobia are seen as an attack on Christianity.
SoulForce, due to the history and religious affiliation of its members, often has access to even the most vitriolic of fire and brimstone mega-preachers. I am especially impressed by the bridges built by their Equality Ride program.
Click to contribute to SoulForce or Equality Ride.
There is one other denomination-specific group that I think needs some attention. By all reports, Mormons were instrumental in the financing, organization, and footwork of the Yes on 8 and Yes on 102 Campaigns.
Affirmation is primarily focused on providing emotional and spiritual support for gay men and women who were raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. However, they do seek within the church hierarchy to encourage policies that are less hostile and to open lines of communication. If the Mormon Church is to take a less aggressive role in the attack on gay equality, it may well come as a result of the efforts of Affirmation.
To help them in this work, you may contribute here.
Republicans
Log Cabin Republicans is a controversial organization.
Some gay people see them as an enemy or an enabler or as a group that seeks to make excuses and provide cover for anti-gay Republicans. And those on all sides can quickly become quite heated in the debate. I am not bringing up Log Cabin so that commenters may rail one way or the other on whether it is ever acceptable for gay people to be registered as Republicans (and will delete comments that seek to hijack the thread).
But there are some hard facts that our community must face. And one is that the Republican Party is not going anywhere soon and that there are many many elected Republicans in very powerful positions.
Further, our community needs to acknowledge that elected Republicans are not easily swayed by lobbying from those organizations that are perceived as an unofficial arm of the Democratic Party. And many gay lobbyists that I’ve experienced have difficulty speaking with a vocabulary that does not immediately raise alarm and opposition among elected Republicans.
Like it or not, folks, the gay community has one vehicle of access to Republicans. We are not going to win Republican support without them, and they have not been without their successes. Looking at the voting on much of our nation’s gay rights legislation will show that quite often it has been Republican support that added the votes necessary to pass laws that have been vital to the needs of our community. We must keep a voice on the inside of the Republican Party.
I have my doubts about the effectiveness of Log Cabin’s efforts to defeat Proposition 8. But I will give them credit that in the campaign they saw a lack of targeted message and tried to speak directly to those whom they hoped to influence.
If you would like to contribute to their efforts at reaching and influencing Republicans, you may contribute here.
There are, no doubt, a great many more communities we could reach or organizations we could support. If I’ve not listed one you care to support, find one you can. Don’t forget the organizations that have already achieved some support in their communities, but please give some financial assistance to those who may be fighting for your rights in communities that are less receptive.
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Brian
January 13th, 2009
I appreciate your approach here Timothy. I really believe that the only way forward is finding ways to constructively engage with others rather than falling back on finger pointing and blaming.
I feel like some of the more aggressive shaming/confrontation tactics that have been used by both sides have only resulted in fanning the flames of misunderstanding and fear, which only leads to increases in homophobia.
When I think back on my own journey what I see is that where I have been most challenged to change my thinking, and where I have most challenged others is through personal relationships.
While going through ex-gay programs myself what caused me to start questioning some of the the teaching I had taken for granted was simply keeping in touch with my gay friends who had left the program who just didn’t fit the stereotypes I had been taught to expect.
But the key that made those relationships able to influence me was that I knew those people, knew they cared about me, and knew they understood me.
When I had been confronted with gay activists before that even when they had good arguments, I rarely gave them credence because I felt like they were hostile and derisive, that they didn’t understand me, and that they looked down on me. The few I met that responded with anger and abuse made it even harder for to consider that my current position was wrong.
It wasn’t until I had gay friends who I knew respected me,and who took time to understand my language and subculture and faith, that I was able to really start reconsider some of their positions.
In times of conflict and hurt like this it is easy to disengage and deride those who are different, but that attitude is exactly the same as the one that has caused homophobia in the first place, and in embracing such attitudes we end up risking becoming what we are seeking to counter.
I know well how frustrating it can be to keep trying to engage in dialog with groups that seem to only come back with more judgment and hate, but I also am very thankful as a former fundamentalist that my gay friends didn’t cut me off, and had the patience to be keep dialoging with me.
Bruno
January 13th, 2009
Geoff Kors is (or was) a prominent Log Cabin Republican, so I have no doubt at least that particular one worked extremely hard to defeat prop 8.
Timothy Kincaid
January 13th, 2009
Bruno,
I don’t think Kors was ever a prominent LCR.
You may be thinking of Patrick Guerriero who was brought in late in the game (October, I believe), when the Yes on 8 was significantly outfunding the No side. Guerriero was Executive Director of Log Cabin Republicans from 2003 to 2006.
tristram
January 13th, 2009
Thanks, Timothy, for some very constuctive thoughts on this critical subject. And thanks, Brian, for hitting the nail on the head. As important as it is to support organizations that engage in constructive dialogue with segments of our society that tend to be unfriendly, it’s even more vital for each of us individually to make the effort to understand, respect and engage people in our lives (or whose paths we cross) who belong to/identify with those segments.
To resurrect an injunction that I heard many times as a child, each of us has a responsibility to “bear witness and bring light to those who live in darkness.” But let’s do it in a truly respectful manner.
Terry
January 14th, 2009
Thanks Timothy,
Fair and balanced is all that anyone asks.
Jamie Bevill
January 20th, 2009
Another organization worth mentioning here is S.O.N.G. (or Southerners on New Ground) based here in Durham, NC. Though not focused on a national level, its goal is to build bridges and unite all disadvantaged communities.
Website: http://www.southernersonnewground.org/
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