Gay rights groups sprung up left and right on November 5th, adding to the ones already in existence. Events, demonstrations, movements have been thrown out into the e-universe. Some have picked up speed and moved forward, some have dwindled and died.
The problem is that everyone seems like they want to do their thing. They want to have their organization, hold their events. There is not the spirit of working together towards the greater goal. There is not the spirit of supporting each other, promoting each other.
In my research, I've stumbled upon other sites and groups working towards these same goals, organizing rallies and demonstrations that we've been to. While there is one group that, locally, at least, seems to be doing the majority of the work involved with getting these larger demonstrations off the ground, the advertising and promotion of these events feels lacking. When there are so many websites and organizations and people willing to help, there is no excuse for lackluster promotion when you're attempting to beat an attendance record.
Especially when I find a website and a spectacular promotional flyer hidden away and not being pushed, advertised, promoted in any way.
Why not?
I've seen so many lists and databases and posts about who gave what money to support or defeat Proposition 8, and I've heard from people working on building these same things. Why are we so determined to do it ourselves that we're willing to reinvent the wheel over and over again?
Couldn't we use that energy towards something else?
Shouldn't we?
Why is our generation so dead set on doing it ourselves that we cannot step back and understand that this is not about "me" it's about "WE" and there is no one person that can make this happen for us?
When I resigned from the PTA it was for exactly this reason. There was a person on the PTA Board who was so unwilling to accept help from other people or act on the ideas of others that I just couldn't take another year of her glory-hogging martyrdom.
I feel like that's what it comes down to.
People want to make sure that it's their name on the flyer, in the newspaper, on the internets and they want to be the "wow, gosh you do so much, how do you do it all?"
United we stand, divided we fall.
How long will take us to learn that lesson?
Will we be able to learn it in time?
I've heard it said that we need a Harvey Milk - someone to inspire and impassion the gay movement. Someone we'll follow and fight next to and stand by.
I don't think that's necessarily true.
I believe that what we need, what we must have, what we will not win without is:
One message. One voice. One action plan.
We cannot win unless we stand united.
We need to move as one, speak as one, be heard as one.
2 comments:
I completely agree. It frustrates me as someone that works closely with an LGBT group when we contact other groups to try and pull our resourses and lists together and the other groups don't want to.
We need to collectively unplug our egoes and join together in a coalition. I would suggest that the meekest be appointed to the leadership committee and the biggest egos be assigned to provide refreshments for the first six months. Here in Maine we just had 150 (I think) churches join together to issue a statement supporting marriage equality. Perhaps a similar alliance of churches could serve as the catalyst to get some healing started in California. Finger-pointing is not productive, however delicious it might be. As with our national elections, the party in power has been ousted because it did not have a plan that worked. Same thing happened with the glbt groups in California. Time now for those leaders to step aside and let some new folks bring some new ideas and philosophies to the table.
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