The ‘change’ factor
Activist Lane Hudson says the change that’s come to D.C. needs to come to our queer movement, too.
From his Advocate.com commentary:
We are the only major power in the world that does not recognize these tenets of basic equality. We are also the only one of these nations to have elected a black man president. If we can do that, we can surely provide for civil equality for all of our citizens.
If this ask is not reasonable, I challenge our advocacy organizations to explain why. After hundreds of millions of dollars spent in the last 30 years, there is little progress to show in the arena of equal rights. Conversely, there are far more barriers than existed 30 years ago.
It’s time that we have an agenda that represents the time in which we live. I am hopeful that our community will embrace such an agenda and demand it from those who enjoy the largess of our financial support: politicians, organizations, and businesses.
There’s been a chorus of queer leaders and writers calling for either a complete shake-up of our national organizations, or — at the extreme — a complete defunding and abandonment of some (more here).
Our national organizations aren’t going anywhere. Indeed, we do need them. But I agree with Lane… something’s got to be done. In the aftermath of Obama’s historic election and the amazing national response to the passage of California’s Prop. 8, no one can argue that the world of queer activism isn’nt changing. History is moving at a light-years speed past the present model of advocacy set for our agenda by leaders in our nation’s capital.
The Human Rights Campaign and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, along with groups like GLAAD, GLSEN and others, all have their strengths and weaknesses. Taking the time to figure out what they’re good at and applying their resources to that seems to be the best strategy. HRC is good at lobbying. The Task Force is good at grassroots organizing. GLAAD is good at media relations and GLSEN takes on the issue of education. They each have their own field, but who’s taking on the responsibility to see that all of them work together seamlessly and strategically?
Change is a good thing, but it takes work. I’m hoping our national leaders are willing to roll up their sleeves and get busy. We need a better ground game… a more connected, nationally organized grassroots with strategy. Join The Impact is great, but someone’s got to focus the passion into a strategically useful form. That’s what our national org’s should be doing.
Maybe they’ll start getting the message.
Matt, 22, is an LGBT journalist, activist and youth advocate currently living and working in Charlotte, N.C., where he serves as the Editor of Q-Notes, the Carolinas' LGBT news source. A native of Winston-Salem, N.C., Matt attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and is still continuing to pursue his bachelors degree. He is the Owner & Editor of InterstateQ.com and has been active in LGBT advocacy work since the age of 14.
View all posts by Matt