I think this is possibly a major core of the difference between being an activist who is fighting against someone or someone, and an advocate who is working for something, and willing to see a bigger picture.
The fallacious argument, that a person chooses to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered crumbles when you look at things like this. Why would any young person choose to be so harassed are treated so badly?
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This seems connected/ similar to Sharron Angle, who is running against Harry Reid in Nevada. Angle, is suggesting that if Republicans aren’t elected in a majority to take back control of the country, that Tea Party activists (and others??) ought to take up guns and use them to force a coup in Washington.
The degree to which the very Constitution, or at least what it means is at stake, should give anyone from the progressive left to the vast moderate middle a pause, and then help them hurry to the ballot box to protect the very foundation of the country. Or it may be too late.
No politician who has an authentic care for the notion of “building jobs” can also be calling for cuts in spending as the only source of economic recovery. They are either a hypocrite, or naive, or a sleazy liar using a knee-jerk causing sound bite for effect only.
A different avenue, is to get strong, and recognize that while you can’t stop it, you can, with every fiber of your being, be present to it, so that what is happening is known and thus can never be forgotten. Then, down the road, if others attempt to exploit or misrepresent the reality of it, you have the truth inside of you.
Direct Action is a powerful tool for political change, however often misunderstood. It may include marching and being at a protest rally, but it is far more than that. In fact, just showing up at a rally will cause little positive change in and of itself. Direct Action, especially of the type that would be called Civil Disobedience is far more of an investment in the movement that carrying a sign and shouting slogans.
While Rep. Carney is out on the campaign trail worried about his own job, he continues to leave his LGBT constituents unprotected and without any form of federal employment protections. Like all Americans, we are worried about our job security and Rep. Carney’s votes based on discrimination are completely unacceptable.
The more real people, who we can look back on history and see what they accomplished, and who were gay or lesbian (or would be labeled as such by today’s standards) the more we can refute the horrific claims of the anti-gay crusaders.