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thoreauAs a political activist and outspoken writer in Idaho in the late 90's and early 2000's – one of my political idols was (and still is) Idaho Senator Nicole Lefavour. Not only is she the only openly gay member of the Idaho Senate – she is an overtly calm and highly affective speaker and community organizer. As I watched Barak Obama campaign and work over the last two years – his tone and attitude constantly reminded me of Nicole.
I had the privilege of going lobbying with Nicole once when we were on the board together of a rights organization in Idaho. A central Idaho legislator was discussing gay rights with us- and the legislator said she had faced discrimination as a Mormon – and understood discrimination but that she could not equate the discrimination she had faced with the discrimination we spoke of.
I was a very young activist at that point – and Nicole knew I wanted to confront the legislator's point of view. Nicole (not so gently) stepped on my foot under the table and told the legislator that she respected her taking the time to speak with us – and thank you for listening to us about the needs of gay and lesbian Idahoans.
In that one moment in time, Nicole taught me the most powerful lesson I have ever learned in politics. You can't make forward progress if you cast your advisaries as "the enemy" ("clueless homophobes" or "liberal San Francisco faggots"). You can't win by dismissing someone's point of view carte blanche then expect them to listen or honor yours in the next breath. Change simply doesn't happen that way. The right wing evangelical goes back to his corner - the leftist San Francisco faggot (me, for instance) goes back to his - and nothing was accomplished in the exchange.
As a result of my work in Idaho - I have friends across the political spectrum - on Facebook, on LJ, on blogs, at work, in my personal realtime life - who I regularly engage in conversations. I have friends with deeply held conservative religious views with whom I am able to discuss things without it ever turning to a single disrespectful word.
I've read a lot today - from people here on LJ - to blogs across the spectrum. Daily I read the blog of The Idaho Values Alliance - a neo-conservative religious blog written by Brian Fischer, a former political opponent of mine in Idaho; I read the Huffington Post; I read the conservative World Net Daily; I read JoeMyGod - every single day. I read several dozen blogs on a weekly basis - and today was a very odd day across that entire blogosphere.
What I saw across the board - whether it was reading comments from the far right - the center or the far left; was a total lack of respect for one another. Liberal bloggers challenging the liberal-ness of commenters, radical right bloggers calling people tyrants, and just a hip-shooter kind of response from everyone.
I think it is powerful for like-minded people to disagree. Very powerful! An example of that like-minded respectful debate was in a trade of comments with![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
paulintoronto"Ultimately, though, speaking of diversity, I think that our discussion here is a genuine and legitimate example of diversity: you articulate a reasoned and respectful position on this issue, and I assert a contrary one, hopefully with the same degree of reason and respect. Neither of us is attempting to take away the other's rights, or to diminish the other as a person. On the contrary, you are actually facilitating the diversity by allowing me to comment on your own blog.”
Others were not nearly as cordial. How did it become so acceptable to let debate dissolve into name-calling and labeling? My point is that it wasn't simply on LJ around gay men talking about the issue – it is happening across the blogosphere on the right and the left and the center. The entire blogosphere has lost the ability to debate reasonably without devolving into name calling and dismissal of opposing points of view.
We lose as a movement when our only argument against someone is “he's a homophobe” – the same way a right wing speaker/debater loses by simply dismissing us as “a whiny/liberal fag.”
Lets face it – on any gay rights issue we have more explaining to do than the opposition does - it makes our work A LOT harder; which means we have to maintain that level of respect even MORE vigilently.
The opposition can say it’s talking points about 5000 years of this – and a tradition of that. And until we can articulate a reason for our rights to marriage, our rights to equal access to healthcare, or workplace discrimination better than “because we want them” it is always going to be that way.
And that debate has rightfully started within our community – particularly since the passage of further anti-gay rights bans in Arizona, Florida, California and Kansas. That debate is showing signs, however, of lacking respect for differences in opinion. And having it out in the open on blogs – gives our opponents cut-and-pasteable evidence that even queers cant respect one another enough to organize.
How is the religious right accomplishing so much? – mutual respect of one another and organizing effectively behind a cause. These people - our political opponents - mean very serious business.
How do we as a queer movement get past the "if I disagree with you - I must verbally destroy you?" place we are in right now? Somehow us queers need to find our way out of this tar baby of a debate we are having and get to the real struggle to real answers for our community's problems and issues in greater society.
The title of this post is a paraphrase of the famous quote by Archimedes who said "give me a place to stand and I will move the earth." He was talking about math and mechanics - but the same can ring true for our movement.
If we create a unified base with which to move forward - we can move the earth. We can create undeniable change. But so far - the queer community hasn't found that base of unity other movements like the civil rights movement of the 60s or the rise of the religious right to power with GW Bush in 2000.
It is time to radically change the strategy moving forward. If we really want to effectively organize behind our mutual cause – we need to start having a debate that leads us to a unified solid movement.
Who knows what meeting in what city will include the next accidental activist who will be this century’s Harvey Milk? The quickest way never finding out is to continue treating each other with displaced anger, disrespect and intolerance. Faced with that – he or she is likely to get up and walk out when the meeting is over and never return.
I had the privilege of going lobbying with Nicole once when we were on the board together of a rights organization in Idaho. A central Idaho legislator was discussing gay rights with us- and the legislator said she had faced discrimination as a Mormon – and understood discrimination but that she could not equate the discrimination she had faced with the discrimination we spoke of.
I was a very young activist at that point – and Nicole knew I wanted to confront the legislator's point of view. Nicole (not so gently) stepped on my foot under the table and told the legislator that she respected her taking the time to speak with us – and thank you for listening to us about the needs of gay and lesbian Idahoans.
In that one moment in time, Nicole taught me the most powerful lesson I have ever learned in politics. You can't make forward progress if you cast your advisaries as "the enemy" ("clueless homophobes" or "liberal San Francisco faggots"). You can't win by dismissing someone's point of view carte blanche then expect them to listen or honor yours in the next breath. Change simply doesn't happen that way. The right wing evangelical goes back to his corner - the leftist San Francisco faggot (me, for instance) goes back to his - and nothing was accomplished in the exchange.
As a result of my work in Idaho - I have friends across the political spectrum - on Facebook, on LJ, on blogs, at work, in my personal realtime life - who I regularly engage in conversations. I have friends with deeply held conservative religious views with whom I am able to discuss things without it ever turning to a single disrespectful word.
I've read a lot today - from people here on LJ - to blogs across the spectrum. Daily I read the blog of The Idaho Values Alliance - a neo-conservative religious blog written by Brian Fischer, a former political opponent of mine in Idaho; I read the Huffington Post; I read the conservative World Net Daily; I read JoeMyGod - every single day. I read several dozen blogs on a weekly basis - and today was a very odd day across that entire blogosphere.
What I saw across the board - whether it was reading comments from the far right - the center or the far left; was a total lack of respect for one another. Liberal bloggers challenging the liberal-ness of commenters, radical right bloggers calling people tyrants, and just a hip-shooter kind of response from everyone.
I think it is powerful for like-minded people to disagree. Very powerful! An example of that like-minded respectful debate was in a trade of comments with
paulintorontotoday - he said to me:
We lose as a movement when our only argument against someone is “he's a homophobe” – the same way a right wing speaker/debater loses by simply dismissing us as “a whiny/liberal fag.”
Lets face it – on any gay rights issue we have more explaining to do than the opposition does - it makes our work A LOT harder; which means we have to maintain that level of respect even MORE vigilently.
The opposition can say it’s talking points about 5000 years of this – and a tradition of that. And until we can articulate a reason for our rights to marriage, our rights to equal access to healthcare, or workplace discrimination better than “because we want them” it is always going to be that way.
And that debate has rightfully started within our community – particularly since the passage of further anti-gay rights bans in Arizona, Florida, California and Kansas. That debate is showing signs, however, of lacking respect for differences in opinion. And having it out in the open on blogs – gives our opponents cut-and-pasteable evidence that even queers cant respect one another enough to organize.
How is the religious right accomplishing so much? – mutual respect of one another and organizing effectively behind a cause. These people - our political opponents - mean very serious business.
How do we as a queer movement get past the "if I disagree with you - I must verbally destroy you?" place we are in right now? Somehow us queers need to find our way out of this tar baby of a debate we are having and get to the real struggle to real answers for our community's problems and issues in greater society.
The title of this post is a paraphrase of the famous quote by Archimedes who said "give me a place to stand and I will move the earth." He was talking about math and mechanics - but the same can ring true for our movement.
If we create a unified base with which to move forward - we can move the earth. We can create undeniable change. But so far - the queer community hasn't found that base of unity other movements like the civil rights movement of the 60s or the rise of the religious right to power with GW Bush in 2000.
It is time to radically change the strategy moving forward. If we really want to effectively organize behind our mutual cause – we need to start having a debate that leads us to a unified solid movement.
Who knows what meeting in what city will include the next accidental activist who will be this century’s Harvey Milk? The quickest way never finding out is to continue treating each other with displaced anger, disrespect and intolerance. Faced with that – he or she is likely to get up and walk out when the meeting is over and never return.
