Imagine my disappointment when, earlier this week, he referred to the National Equality March as "useless." He told us all to "stay home." He also stated that "Barack Obama doesn't need the pressure."
I hate it when people I respect don't agree with me 100% of the time. It's confusing.
To be very clear, I only disagree with part of what Barney Frank said.
I do think that Obama needs the pressure. I think he needs it from every LGBT person in the country. I think he needs it from every straight person who believes in equality for each and every American. And I think he needs to hear it over and over and over again. Relentlessly. Until his perspective changes. Until the decision that feels like political suicide is to continue to deny us our full equality under the law. Until his political timidity comes from fear of NOT repealing DOMA & DADT. The president doesn't need less pressure. He needs more. Much more. Applied consistently.
The part that I agree with, although I wish he would have said it in a more positive, constructive fashion, is that the march this weekend will be "useless."
We have a few things working against us this weekend. We are not the only event in D.C. It is a holiday weekend and, because of that, Congress won't be there. President Obama himself, unless he has changed his plans, will be golfing in California raising money for the Democrats during the march (although he did recently announce that he will be speaking at the HRC dinner, which, coincidentally, is taking place on Saturday night.).
With so many negatives, what is the point?
The point is this: the march is a beginning. A shoring up of energy. Of resources. A coming together from across the country to fan the flames of anger and hope and funnel them in a constructive way. The lens that the march must be viewed through is one of commencement. The energy that propelled us to D.C. to march, to speak out against injustice, to demand our equal rights in all civil matters under the law must be harnessed and sent back to our respective hometowns.
Feeling good about a fun weekend where we're surrounded by like-minded people isn't a victory. If utilized to its fullest capacity, it's a clarion call to action.
Marches are fun.
Doing the day to day campaigning of changing people's minds is not as much fun. It is work. There is no glamour in the individual phone calls. In the meetings with politicians, when you're lucky enough to get them. There is no glamour in speaking to you local politicians, to your state or your federal representatives. But that is the work.
If we do not use the march as a catalyst, then it will simply have been a rather large, expensive circuit party.
Our rights will not be "granted" to us. Our opponents are loud. And organized. And while they have neither facts, science, reason nor logic behind them, they have something arguably more effective: emotion.
We must fight for our equality.
Is it fair?
No. None of this is fair.
Is it reality?
Yes.
We must change people's minds. We must change the minds of the politicians who are against us. We must encourage the politicians who agree with us but vote against us because of their conservative constituents to do the right thing. We must ask them: What can we do to help you? We must thank the politicians who have stood up, gone out on a limb and supported us. We must make sure that they aren't alone out there on that limb.
This weekend is an opportunity for us to come together. To gather steam and gain momentum.
After that, it's up to us.
More tomorrow.
1 comment:
"What is the point?" Love when people ask that. It's fine if Congress and the President are not in DC. It's not like they were going to all come out onto the Capitol steps and say, "Oh! You all are here for a march and rally? OK, I'll vote to repeal all the discriminating laws." I'm pretty sure that members of Congress and the President will hear about the thousands and thousands of people who turn up on Sunday. A march IS fun, and it's a way to say that a whole lot of people want some changes made.
See you there.
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