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Marriage Equality Rally San Francisco

Marriage Equality as a rallying cry within the GLBTQ communities.

A few days ago, I began this series of posts examining, or wishing to prompt examination of the seemingly new push for marriage equality, and equating it in some ways to how AIDS has changed queer culture.  What’s up with that? Just as AIDS activism became a primary rallying cry and identity creator for the GLBTQ community in the late 80′s and 90′s, is Marriage Equality doing the same today?

Join the Impact

Following the passage of Proposition 8 in California, there was a grassroots swell of activism and activity.  The passage, interpreted by most as the defeat of anti-prop 8 took away the right for same sex couples to get married in California.  This was significant, because while there have been other initiatives in other states to keep same sex couples from gaining the right to marry, this was the first instance of having that right removed .  The largest organizing effort that grew out of this was Join the Impact. Join the Impact is in many ways like an up-to-date MoveOn.org, but with a better grasp of social networks, a more limited focus,  and without the “top down” organizing.

I first heard of Join the Impact from Twitter, and news of Impact rallies were on Facebook. I blogged about my experience of the first Impact rally . And another round of events are happening January 10th. But a rebirth of activism isn’t only happening under the “Impact” umbrella.

 San Diego Equality Campaign (SDEC) and the San Diego Alliance for Marriage Equality (SAME). Locally, the StoneWall Democrats are acting with renewed vigor. And this trend can be found in cities large and small across the country.

Role of social media as a new organizing strategy

It should come as no surprise that social media is playing a major role as not only a communication mechanism, but as an organizing strategy.  For example, a Facebook group, MILK!, is the location of efforts  to both raise awareness, and promote individual action surrounding the Marriage Equality issue.  Group members are invited to talk to family and friends about the issue, and provided with talking points as well as encouragement. The group has over 1100 members with a primnary focus to capture the energy of reaction and inspiration of the film to make new ground for GLBT liberty.

In November, there was word that Fred Phelps (Godhatesfags.com) was to be in Pittsburgh protesting at a funeral and against a number of things.  My partner decided to create a Facebook group and within a few days, it had 70 members, and the group continues to grow even now. No other work was done except we asked friends to ask their friends to join, and I wrote about it on Twitter.  We had a counter-protest to Phelp’s protest, and even though it was a weekday morning, we had 60-80 people in attendance!

We Need a Cause!

I think that GLBT people often need a cause behind which to rally to get motivated, and organized.  In so many ways we are like other marginalized minorities and groups, but there are ways in which we are not at all like them.  Fro example, African American’s as a minority- there is no real hiding they are black.  Same for Women- there is little hiding that which identifies them, their gender. GLBT people hide all the time!  For the most part, we can easily just blend in to culture at large.  We can work and be productive citizens, and never have to let anyone know our identity as GLBT people.  This ability to pass can provide some with an excuse to just go with the status quo instead of demanding equality.

AIDS provided such a cause to us, and in that case it was our lives and the lives of our loved ones that we were fighting for, as we fought against homophobia, predudice and bigotry.

Marriage Equality seems today, to be functioning similarly as a point of focus.  This right may not seem as dramatic as life itself, but it is possibly the ultimate level of cultural acceptance.  It is the aknowledgement  by the greater culture that our family building- our ties of commitment are as meaningful as heterosexual ones.

California and  MILK

I think two other factors are also playing a role.  That Prop 8 in California took away rights was a single concrete event which demonstrates the level of bigotry we are facing.  The amount of money thatr was spent to pass Prop 8, even from peple outside of California, demonstrates that even “local” government is a toll of bigotry used by institutions of intolerance. But also, the timing of the film MILK!, has played a role by giving Harvey Milk, a voice to rouse the crowd.  Harvey wants to recruit us, and we are ready to be recruited!

Is the Issue Equality or Marriage Equality?

On the other side of the coin are calls to see the bigger picture and not to let Marriage Equality become an all consuming motivator.  I have been vocal in my concerns about how this issue can eclipse other others GLBTQ people need such as protection from discrimination in house, employment, and accommodations, but others are voicing concern as well. Jerame Davis writes on the Bilerico Project, writes eloquently about this. And groups such as the HRC have been so caught up in the Rick Warren thing, it is unclear what if any plan they have to move Equality forward in 2009.

So what do you think?  Add your comments and help generate dialogue!

 

Added @ 4:25PM

Wanted to add a few more links examples that I have come across since I posted this originally this morning.

• A student group at Stanford: http://stanfordscme.blogspot.com/2008/11/guerilla-flyering-election-day-and.html
• FaceBook Group: Equality Flag: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=35993801337

 

Photo Credit: Frankfarm