On Wednesday I took part in a conference call that Equality Florida put on to prepare us to lobby our state senators and representatives. Frankly I'm quite terrified at the proposition. The conference call went over basics but I don't feel like it really prepared me to deal with a hostile response.
Before the conference call I was ready to march right in and demand equal rights for our LGBT population. If anything the conference call undermined my confidence by helping me realize that I don't know shit about how to deal with politics.
Fortunately, our local PFLAG chapter president has offered to go with me if "this is something I really feel the need to do". That phrase alone frightens me. BUT to quote one of my favorite movies "Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgment that something is more important than fear. The brave may not live forever but the cautious do not live at all."
And so with this in mind, I will be calling on Monday to make an appointment with both relevant politicians.
This is more important than fear. I said after the vote in September that I was no longer going to stand back and let others make decisions for me. I will no longer stay on the sideline. So I will master my fear and have the conversations.
I will remind our politicians that what is right is not always popular and what is popular, my friends, is not always right.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Apathy. Not that I care.
Even with 63% of the state of Florida voting in FAVOR of Amendment 2, we are still having problems getting people to give a crap about fighting for equal rights. It's appalling the lack of interest we have at planning meetings.
Last night I went to a One Orlando meeting to help plan events for the next two months. Considering that Orlando has a metro population of over 2 MILLION people. Yet we had a turnout of around 30 people. The LOTTERY has better odds!
Yes, I understand that there are not 2 million LGBT people in the Orlando metro, but I KNOW there's more than 30. I just simply do not understand how so many people can just roll over and take this kind of abuse. How is it that so many people can be so apathetic about their rights??
The very idea that a large segment of our LGBT population has decided that they are OKAY with being treated as second class citizens is simply beyond my comprehension. Yes I get that being "out" is scary. I've been scared back into my closet on numerous occasions. I get that being a public figure is even scarier. It's similar to having a bullseye tattoed to your forhead. It also didn't turn out very well for Harvey Milk. I GET all that.
Yet there are people who, day after day, go into the world as openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered people. I am one of those people. I'm extremely open about being bisexual. I wear LGBT shirts and my car has a "Blatantly Bisexual" sticker in the back window so that everybody knows that they have a neighbor who is a part of the LGBT community.
I know that not everyone is ready to come out. Some people have extenuating circumstances that prohibit them from being THAT open about their sexuality. That, however is a small percentage of the population. My feeling is that if those who are closeted would be more open then more people would see that we really are just like everyone else.
And so, I will end this entry with one of my favorite quotes: Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgment that something is more important than fear. The brave may not live forever but the cautious do not live at all.
Last night I went to a One Orlando meeting to help plan events for the next two months. Considering that Orlando has a metro population of over 2 MILLION people. Yet we had a turnout of around 30 people. The LOTTERY has better odds!
Yes, I understand that there are not 2 million LGBT people in the Orlando metro, but I KNOW there's more than 30. I just simply do not understand how so many people can just roll over and take this kind of abuse. How is it that so many people can be so apathetic about their rights??
The very idea that a large segment of our LGBT population has decided that they are OKAY with being treated as second class citizens is simply beyond my comprehension. Yes I get that being "out" is scary. I've been scared back into my closet on numerous occasions. I get that being a public figure is even scarier. It's similar to having a bullseye tattoed to your forhead. It also didn't turn out very well for Harvey Milk. I GET all that.
Yet there are people who, day after day, go into the world as openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered people. I am one of those people. I'm extremely open about being bisexual. I wear LGBT shirts and my car has a "Blatantly Bisexual" sticker in the back window so that everybody knows that they have a neighbor who is a part of the LGBT community.
I know that not everyone is ready to come out. Some people have extenuating circumstances that prohibit them from being THAT open about their sexuality. That, however is a small percentage of the population. My feeling is that if those who are closeted would be more open then more people would see that we really are just like everyone else.
And so, I will end this entry with one of my favorite quotes: Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgment that something is more important than fear. The brave may not live forever but the cautious do not live at all.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Hi! I'm Bisexual and I'm Here to Recruit You!
We were up on the north end of town early this morning and I happened to notice the new public health building. I guess this is what happens when I don't read the local paper. The UP side is that I'm planning a trip over there later today to see if they are offering health information to our local LGBT community and our LGBT youth.
YAY! I get to go on a field trip!!!
Of course once I saw that we have a new health department building the first thing I did was to text our PFLAG Prez and ask her if PFLAG offers health pamphlets that I could give to our new health dept people if they don't. I was stunned to find out that no, the Mother Ship doesn't have anything like that. You would think that a group that is SO dedicated to families would have that information on hand. I think I may need to talk to someone about that.
Uhm, how deep does this rabbit hole go, Alice? Ahh well, life would be utterly boring if it wasn't one thing or another.
YAY! I get to go on a field trip!!!
Of course once I saw that we have a new health department building the first thing I did was to text our PFLAG Prez and ask her if PFLAG offers health pamphlets that I could give to our new health dept people if they don't. I was stunned to find out that no, the Mother Ship doesn't have anything like that. You would think that a group that is SO dedicated to families would have that information on hand. I think I may need to talk to someone about that.
Uhm, how deep does this rabbit hole go, Alice? Ahh well, life would be utterly boring if it wasn't one thing or another.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Methinks We Don't Protest Enough
In the last week or so I began to get the feeling that our movement towards equal rights was beginning to lost its head of steam. I've contacted a few people and no one really seems to know what's going on for the DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) protest on Jan. 10.
I know that we all have our own lives. Most of us have to work a day job AND try to organize a movement, which makes this more difficult.
I'm still hopefull though. While I was on Facebook earlier today I saw an ad for a Virtual Protest. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=52599054615 So far over 8000 people have promised to change their profile picture on FB for the Inaugural week. It's a step in the right direction. Other than to raise visibility, I'm not certain what else it might accomplish though.
What if, instead of a virtual protest, we held an ACTUAL protest? What if, just like in the 60's during the VietNam protests, we all just piled into busses, vans, SUVs, etc and converged on Washington DC? Now THAT would get some serious media attention. Local TV stations would conduct interviews and people would see that we REALLY do mean what we say. We really ARE serious about our rights as human beings.
Something like this takes time to coordinate. So I propose that on July 4th we have a national protest IN Washington DC on the Mall! Anyone interested in helping me coordinate it should contact me on Twitter under PFLAGBrevard.
I know that we all have our own lives. Most of us have to work a day job AND try to organize a movement, which makes this more difficult.
I'm still hopefull though. While I was on Facebook earlier today I saw an ad for a Virtual Protest. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=52599054615 So far over 8000 people have promised to change their profile picture on FB for the Inaugural week. It's a step in the right direction. Other than to raise visibility, I'm not certain what else it might accomplish though.
What if, instead of a virtual protest, we held an ACTUAL protest? What if, just like in the 60's during the VietNam protests, we all just piled into busses, vans, SUVs, etc and converged on Washington DC? Now THAT would get some serious media attention. Local TV stations would conduct interviews and people would see that we REALLY do mean what we say. We really ARE serious about our rights as human beings.
Something like this takes time to coordinate. So I propose that on July 4th we have a national protest IN Washington DC on the Mall! Anyone interested in helping me coordinate it should contact me on Twitter under PFLAGBrevard.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Resolutions
I don't make New Year's Resolutions. There's no point. Within weeks that budding optimism has gone by the wayside replaced with the old habits. It's the same ole song and dance.
Yet each year we make resolutions. We resolve to lose weight, learn a new language or do any one of a million things to improve ourselves and our lives. Resolutions CAN potentially start us down new paths to new careers or ideals. One idea, one drive, one ambition can lead to sweeping change IF we have the fortitude to stick with those changes.
We can resolve to make a difference, not just in our own lives but the lives of others as well. That may be through charitable donations, the work we do for a cause or it could be as simple as a conversation that leads to new understanding.
I don't believe that people should choose one day a year to make a change. Every day is an opportunity to change, to move forward, to make the life we want not only for ourselves but for the world we want to see for our future. So when I do this, I am, for all intents and purposes, violating my own rule not to make a New Years Resolution.
I am making 2009 my year to make a difference in the LGBT community. I will spend this year and every year hereafter, doing what I can to bring equal rights to my lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered brethren.
No one should have to live as a second class citizen.
Yet each year we make resolutions. We resolve to lose weight, learn a new language or do any one of a million things to improve ourselves and our lives. Resolutions CAN potentially start us down new paths to new careers or ideals. One idea, one drive, one ambition can lead to sweeping change IF we have the fortitude to stick with those changes.
We can resolve to make a difference, not just in our own lives but the lives of others as well. That may be through charitable donations, the work we do for a cause or it could be as simple as a conversation that leads to new understanding.
I don't believe that people should choose one day a year to make a change. Every day is an opportunity to change, to move forward, to make the life we want not only for ourselves but for the world we want to see for our future. So when I do this, I am, for all intents and purposes, violating my own rule not to make a New Years Resolution.
I am making 2009 my year to make a difference in the LGBT community. I will spend this year and every year hereafter, doing what I can to bring equal rights to my lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered brethren.
No one should have to live as a second class citizen.
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