And for your viewing pleasure, here is some video of the "Mic Check" from yesterday!
Onward!
Showing posts with label activism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label activism. Show all posts
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Thanking Chick Fil A?
Ok, I know it sounds totally insane, but seriously, I do find myself thanking Chick-Fil-A! Why on earth would I thank a company who funds hate groups by the millions? Well, here's the deal. I found myself in quite an activist funk after getting moved and settling in here in Florida. I helped to organize a candle light vigil, and have had some 1:1 conversations with people about joining GetEQUAL. But was still not really energized to be doing organizing work again for whatever reason. The recent brouhaha over Chick-Fil-Hate has really given me the spark I needed to get back in the game! Yesterday, I joined Occupy Tampa as they Mic Checked a local Chick-Fil-A, then we visited another to hand out handbills to people sitting outside eating. It was a great time, and I look forward to working with them again! Now, I have a bit of work to do this week, this weekend, and beyond. Time to GetEQUAL! And so thank you, Chick-Fil-A for admitting once and for all that you fund hate groups, and for pushing this activist out of his funk and back into the game!! See you soon!
And for your viewing pleasure, here is some video of the "Mic Check" from yesterday!
Onward!
And for your viewing pleasure, here is some video of the "Mic Check" from yesterday!
Onward!
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Boy Scouts, chicken sandwiches, and wedding cakes, oh my!
What a week it has been for queers! We have seen Boy Scouts of American stand strong on their ban on gays; we have seen Chick-Fil-A's President openly affirm that they are anti-LGBT, and then make a sorry attempt to explain their hate; we have seen Masterpiece Cake Shop in Lakewood, CO refuse service to a gay couple in need of a wedding cake.
Out of all the bad, of course, some good has cropped up. BSA has seen a ton of backlash, including some scouts stepping down, and in at least one case, returning badges in protest of their policy. Chick-Fil-A has received a ton of press, most of it negative, in response to their "coming out" against LGBT people. One item I particularly love is the Jim Henson Company announcing they will no longer partner with Chick-Fil-A. We will have to see what is in store for the Colorado bakery, but have already seen a ton of negative reviews popping up over on Yelp.
Do these organizations, like churches who practice discrimination, cause harm? Absolutely! Take Boy Scouts of America, for instance. Meet Johnny. Johnny is a young man in Boy Scouts. Johnny is also dealing with feelings inside that scare and confuse him. Johnny thinks he might be gay. Johnny's parents have always taught him that all people are equal and that it is not ok to bully or discriminate against someone because of the color of their skin, or who they might love. Johnny's parents also love that he is a Scout. They feel that the good done by BSA outweighs the bad they do with the ban on gays and atheists. They don't discuss this issue with Johnny because they don't want him to have bad thoughts or impressions of BSA. Johnny saw something in the paper about the issue though. He also overheard some other Scouts joking about the "fags" who can't join them. Johnny, dealing with his own internal issues, will not discuss this with his parents or any of his friends, that might make people realize what he is. So Johnny is very confused. It is wrong to discriminate. But BSA is GOOD and they discriminate, so does that mean that it's ok to discriminate just against gays and atheists? Or does it mean that it's really not that bad to discriminate against gays because they really aren't equal? Poor Johnny.
Bad move for these three! You would think they would know better in today's day and age. When attempted boycotts of Starbuck's, JC Penney, and Kraft Foods by Bigoted Mothers and Others have failed miserably and actually backfired on them, why would they want to make a firm stance against equality?
Bottom line is that if you support organizations, Churches, or businesses that discriminate against people (whatever the reason), you, whether you want to or not, are indirectly supporting that discrimination. The Chicken Sandwich you eat today can help fund a harmful reparative therapy session for an already scared and hurting child. The cake or pie you buy could allow a bigoted businessman to continue to refuse service to gays, also teaching children in the community that gay is bad! The dues you pay to keep your child in Boy Scouts help fund an organization that teaches children that some people are not worthy of equal treatment, that to be different, to break out of the mold is bad: think, look, pray, and love like we do or you are scum!
If BSA, Chick-Fil-A, and this bakery were to have refused service, banned, or said hateful things about people based on their race, sex, or religious affiliation, more people would be up in arms against them! Society as a whole would not stand for such things, even if done by a "private organization" or "private company." Too many people tend to turn a blind eye when it comes to discrimination against LGBT people when they wouldn't if it were a different situation. That, in my opinion, is actually more immoral than the discrimination taking place to begin with. As MLK said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
Onward!
Out of all the bad, of course, some good has cropped up. BSA has seen a ton of backlash, including some scouts stepping down, and in at least one case, returning badges in protest of their policy. Chick-Fil-A has received a ton of press, most of it negative, in response to their "coming out" against LGBT people. One item I particularly love is the Jim Henson Company announcing they will no longer partner with Chick-Fil-A. We will have to see what is in store for the Colorado bakery, but have already seen a ton of negative reviews popping up over on Yelp.
Do these organizations, like churches who practice discrimination, cause harm? Absolutely! Take Boy Scouts of America, for instance. Meet Johnny. Johnny is a young man in Boy Scouts. Johnny is also dealing with feelings inside that scare and confuse him. Johnny thinks he might be gay. Johnny's parents have always taught him that all people are equal and that it is not ok to bully or discriminate against someone because of the color of their skin, or who they might love. Johnny's parents also love that he is a Scout. They feel that the good done by BSA outweighs the bad they do with the ban on gays and atheists. They don't discuss this issue with Johnny because they don't want him to have bad thoughts or impressions of BSA. Johnny saw something in the paper about the issue though. He also overheard some other Scouts joking about the "fags" who can't join them. Johnny, dealing with his own internal issues, will not discuss this with his parents or any of his friends, that might make people realize what he is. So Johnny is very confused. It is wrong to discriminate. But BSA is GOOD and they discriminate, so does that mean that it's ok to discriminate just against gays and atheists? Or does it mean that it's really not that bad to discriminate against gays because they really aren't equal? Poor Johnny.
Bad move for these three! You would think they would know better in today's day and age. When attempted boycotts of Starbuck's, JC Penney, and Kraft Foods by Bigoted Mothers and Others have failed miserably and actually backfired on them, why would they want to make a firm stance against equality?
Bottom line is that if you support organizations, Churches, or businesses that discriminate against people (whatever the reason), you, whether you want to or not, are indirectly supporting that discrimination. The Chicken Sandwich you eat today can help fund a harmful reparative therapy session for an already scared and hurting child. The cake or pie you buy could allow a bigoted businessman to continue to refuse service to gays, also teaching children in the community that gay is bad! The dues you pay to keep your child in Boy Scouts help fund an organization that teaches children that some people are not worthy of equal treatment, that to be different, to break out of the mold is bad: think, look, pray, and love like we do or you are scum!
If BSA, Chick-Fil-A, and this bakery were to have refused service, banned, or said hateful things about people based on their race, sex, or religious affiliation, more people would be up in arms against them! Society as a whole would not stand for such things, even if done by a "private organization" or "private company." Too many people tend to turn a blind eye when it comes to discrimination against LGBT people when they wouldn't if it were a different situation. That, in my opinion, is actually more immoral than the discrimination taking place to begin with. As MLK said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
Onward!
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Religion and Faith vs. "The Church"
Some recent discussions on my Facebook wall have had me thinking a lot about this topic, and so I have decided the time is now to blog about it a bit. What is the topic? Religion, faith, and The Church. First things first, let me clarify that when I say things negative about a religion, those things are about the doctrine or practices of the religion, not the people who follow it. The same goes for when I say things about a Church.
I believe strongly that there are very big differences between religion, faith, and The Church. Webster's defines faith as "unquestioning belief, specifically in God, religion, etc". Faith is a wonderful thing, and most of us have faith in some form or another (even us Humanists and Atheists). Religion is defined as "a specific system of belief or worship built around God or gods, a code of ethics, a philosophy of life, etc." Religion can be a wonderful thing, and can also, because we are human, be corrupt and used for evil. Church is defined as "a particular Christian denomination." When I refer to The Church, I refer to those who run said denomination, not the denomination itself (ie, the Pope, deacons, presidents of denominations, etc).
Now, the recent heated discussions have mostly come from posts or memes I have posted criticizing either religion in general or the Catholic Church (and this is using my view of what Church means). Catholics can be some of the most passionate people about their faith, and I admire that passion. The problem is, most people have problems separating the ideals of faith and religion from The Church. My criticisms of the Catholic Church are primarily over those in power. Bishops, bureaucrats, and, of course, the Pope. I feel that the time for rational discussion and "changing the Church from within" has passed (if it ever existed) when it comes to the Catholic church and many others. While I admire people who stand strong in their faith, I can no longer admire or hold high the act of supporting a Church whose doctrine and rules or bylaws denigrate women and LGBT persons. To stand by such a Church; to remain a member in good standing who not only supports the Church by attending and speaking out in support, but also by giving money to it, is, however indirectly, supporting misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, biphobia, and all the other ills these Churches propagate.
Another thing that has been bothering me is the use of the bible to condemn LGBT people and our lives as sinful and wrong, while only using the portions they see fit to harm others. Take Leviticus, for example. Do not use that book to condemn my life unless you follow every directive in that book, which very few people in society are able and willing to do. No tattoos, no speaking to women while they're on the period, guys, no mixed fiber clothing, etc. IF you follow each and every one of those to a T, then we'll talk, if not, then shut up with your Leviticus condemnations. Even more than that though is the fact that IF you want to say that my life as a gay man is sinful and wrong because your bible says so, then YOU (or your Church for those who support such Churches) are condemning me and other LGBT people to death. Period. Leviticus 20:13 states "And if a man lie with mankind, as with womankind, both of them have committed abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them." I no longer accept any argument against homosexuality based on biblical principal from people unless they are willing to own the fact that the same bible also calls for death for homosexual acts.
So, in a nutshell, if you are a member of a Church organization who has policies or doctrine against women or LGBT people, you are indirectly supporting that hate, especially if you give money to your church. I know it is not your intent, and I know that most of you do not directly support of believe such things, but again, if you support the organizations that do, then you are helping them to do their harm. If you are among those who say homosexuality is a sin, and you are using the bible as basis for your assertion, then you are calling for the death of LGBT people... you can't pick just the pieces you like and forget the rest (sure, Christians do it all the time). I'm sorry, but I'm calling bullshit on this one, folks.
Onward!
I believe strongly that there are very big differences between religion, faith, and The Church. Webster's defines faith as "unquestioning belief, specifically in God, religion, etc". Faith is a wonderful thing, and most of us have faith in some form or another (even us Humanists and Atheists). Religion is defined as "a specific system of belief or worship built around God or gods, a code of ethics, a philosophy of life, etc." Religion can be a wonderful thing, and can also, because we are human, be corrupt and used for evil. Church is defined as "a particular Christian denomination." When I refer to The Church, I refer to those who run said denomination, not the denomination itself (ie, the Pope, deacons, presidents of denominations, etc).
Now, the recent heated discussions have mostly come from posts or memes I have posted criticizing either religion in general or the Catholic Church (and this is using my view of what Church means). Catholics can be some of the most passionate people about their faith, and I admire that passion. The problem is, most people have problems separating the ideals of faith and religion from The Church. My criticisms of the Catholic Church are primarily over those in power. Bishops, bureaucrats, and, of course, the Pope. I feel that the time for rational discussion and "changing the Church from within" has passed (if it ever existed) when it comes to the Catholic church and many others. While I admire people who stand strong in their faith, I can no longer admire or hold high the act of supporting a Church whose doctrine and rules or bylaws denigrate women and LGBT persons. To stand by such a Church; to remain a member in good standing who not only supports the Church by attending and speaking out in support, but also by giving money to it, is, however indirectly, supporting misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, biphobia, and all the other ills these Churches propagate.
Another thing that has been bothering me is the use of the bible to condemn LGBT people and our lives as sinful and wrong, while only using the portions they see fit to harm others. Take Leviticus, for example. Do not use that book to condemn my life unless you follow every directive in that book, which very few people in society are able and willing to do. No tattoos, no speaking to women while they're on the period, guys, no mixed fiber clothing, etc. IF you follow each and every one of those to a T, then we'll talk, if not, then shut up with your Leviticus condemnations. Even more than that though is the fact that IF you want to say that my life as a gay man is sinful and wrong because your bible says so, then YOU (or your Church for those who support such Churches) are condemning me and other LGBT people to death. Period. Leviticus 20:13 states "And if a man lie with mankind, as with womankind, both of them have committed abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them." I no longer accept any argument against homosexuality based on biblical principal from people unless they are willing to own the fact that the same bible also calls for death for homosexual acts.
So, in a nutshell, if you are a member of a Church organization who has policies or doctrine against women or LGBT people, you are indirectly supporting that hate, especially if you give money to your church. I know it is not your intent, and I know that most of you do not directly support of believe such things, but again, if you support the organizations that do, then you are helping them to do their harm. If you are among those who say homosexuality is a sin, and you are using the bible as basis for your assertion, then you are calling for the death of LGBT people... you can't pick just the pieces you like and forget the rest (sure, Christians do it all the time). I'm sorry, but I'm calling bullshit on this one, folks.
Onward!
Monday, May 14, 2012
A long month full of organizing
This past month has been a whirlwind for my family and for myself. On top of preparing for our move from NM to FL, lots of crazy overtime at work, school stuff for our daughter, we have been involved in some very important organizing on both local and national levels for Equality. Since the Easter Egg Roll trip to DC, I have worked with my great group at NM GetEQUAL on organizing a series of visits to OFA offices in our area, particularly the state headquarters located in Albuquerque, . GetEQUAL groups around the country have been paying visit to campaign offices to have dialogue about the executive order, and demonstrate in creative ways. In NM, during the first week, we had a prepared statement about the EO and the need for a signature (and the lack of a valid reason for not signing from the White House). Our second visit to OFA NM's office included an open letter to OFA. the letter was delivered with more pens, a spine, and the mock thank you card. We then engaged our local OFA LGBT liaison in discussion about the executive order and about Obama's LGBT advocacy record.
Week three consisted of nearly two dozen activists from around the country traveling to DC to further escalate our issue. We had things planned out pretty well, but as we were all heading to DC on Wednesday, news broke about the President announcing his support for equality (I will write more on my own views on that later). So when everyone arrived that night, we had a long, difficult planning session on how to proceed. In the end, the decision was made to forgo a pre-planned arrestable action at the White House and instead, picket with messaging of "Thank you" to the President, "AND.... sign the executive order, AND... stop LGBT bullying, AND... stop deporting our families". So we picketed the White House Thursday morning with those signs. It was important to give thanks for the support the President gave while reminding him of things that still need to be done, some of which he can do TODAY rather than next year. The picket went well, and we all felt great about the work we had done.
The next morning, we pulled together another action out of thin air. Stories were going around the media about Mitt Romney's bullying activities (holding a kid down and cutting his long hair) in school. Our managing director, Heather Cronk set out to hunt down scissors at some stores, while others worked on messsaging and signs. Then we marched a mile to the RNC headquarters and protested just outside their door. Great chants, like "Hey Hey! Ho Ho! Mitt Romney has got to go", and signage insisting that the RNC "cut out" bullyiing of LGBT people. We received a lot of support from the public on this one, way more than I can remember receiving at any action ever! It was a great action, and we got our messaging across just fine.
What a month! I've had a couple days of complete down time, and now time to get up and regroup, so much more work to be done (including packing for our move at the end of this month)!
Onward!
Onward!
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
"Gay couple wants to question Obama at Easter Egg Roll" -- my side of things
This week, my family had the honor of attending the annual White House Easter Egg Roll in Washington, D.C. While we were honored to be invited to such an amazing and diversely attended event, we also felt it was very important to use this as a platform to bring much needed attention to an executive order that is floating around the White House waiting to be signed by President Obama. We worked with GetEQUAL and Freedom To Work on messaging and other logistics. A press release went out Friday morning spelling out the message we wanted to push, that the LGBT community can't wait for job protections, and the time is now for President Obama to sign this executive order barring workplace discrimination against LGBT people by companies contracting with the federal government (more details on the order can be found here). Several media outlets quickly picked up the story running headlines indicating that my partner Les and I would be at the Easter Egg Roll following the President around in order to confront him face to face. What a firestorm of criticism that caused! It was interesting to watch how quickly it spread throughout the blogosphere throughout the day. Realistically, we did not expect to have any access to the President, especially considering this is an event with 30,000 plus people in attendance throughout the day. I was prepared, in the highly unlikely event that I did have a few seconds to shake his hand, with just how I would phrase my messaging, but to be clear, I did not expect to even see him, much less have any kind of access. My whole reason for wanting to do this was to put pressure on the President via a media blitz about the need for this order to be signed. As far as I'm concerned, the media hype did just that, and then some. We saw a lot of media coverage, both LGBT and mainstream, about this order. The order has been around for a long time, and was actually a campaign promise by then candidate Obama in March of 2008.
So my family took advantage of a political event (the Easter Egg Roll is, as any event at the White House is, a political event) focused on families, to help open up dialogue about this executive order and the impact it could have on thousands and thousands of families. It is not perfect, and it only covers federal contractors, but until Congress changes hands, it is an important and necessary step. We've received a lot of criticism about choosing to use this event for a political message. As I've said before, this is a political event from the start. If it weren't a political event, then for years the White House would not be in the habit of giving out tickets to organizations as either a thank you, or to make them "go away". That politicizes it, as does the fact that it takes place at the White House. What we did was take advantage of important press time to bring about awareness to this issue. When we actually went to the South Lawn for the Egg Roll, we did have our "We Can't Wait" shirts on, and discussed the issue with some other people, but were primarily focused on allowing our daughter to have a blast watching two of her favorite musicians perform!
Was it inappropriate to do what we did? Not at all! What better time than a family event to bring up the fact that with the stroke of a pen, President Obama could protect thousands of LGBT families and workers from discrimination. We were invited, we didn't "crash" the event, nor did we do anything that was in any way disruptive to the festivities or the White House. What we accomplished was a lot. Later that day, at the White House press conference, an NBC reporter grilled the Press Secretary about our visit and message, and asked several questions about the executive order. This was the first time mainstream media has questioned the Obama Administration about this executive order, so for me, that was a huge win!
Are we the "self-iportant" media whores many have accused us of being? Far from it. Sure, we got a lot of press, and even had a live interview on MSNBC, but honestly, I'm never comfortable in front of cameras. I'll do this as long as I have to for our equality, but to be clear, I don't do it to have attention directed at me. My intent is to direct attention to the issue at hand, not myself.
So what's next? Pressure needs to be kept on the President to get this order signed. He has signed at least 7 executive orders in the past 6 months, so it's not like we're asking him to step above and beyond his duty as President. We can all play a part in this. You can email, write, or call the White House asking that this order be signed as quickly as possible, we simply can't wait for job protections! Beyond that, we should be looking at our community and having discussions with one another about why so many LGBT people and our allies think it is still acceptable to sit back and wait for it to be politically convenient, or for public opinion to be in the "right place" for us to ask for, or demand our rights! I believe it is far from acceptable to continue to think and act this way. We may also want to ask ourselves how it is that we can see support for this issue on conservative christian sites, but on certain LGBT blogs the focus is almost completely about the color of someone's hair, which is a sad and petty commentary.
Onward!
So my family took advantage of a political event (the Easter Egg Roll is, as any event at the White House is, a political event) focused on families, to help open up dialogue about this executive order and the impact it could have on thousands and thousands of families. It is not perfect, and it only covers federal contractors, but until Congress changes hands, it is an important and necessary step. We've received a lot of criticism about choosing to use this event for a political message. As I've said before, this is a political event from the start. If it weren't a political event, then for years the White House would not be in the habit of giving out tickets to organizations as either a thank you, or to make them "go away". That politicizes it, as does the fact that it takes place at the White House. What we did was take advantage of important press time to bring about awareness to this issue. When we actually went to the South Lawn for the Egg Roll, we did have our "We Can't Wait" shirts on, and discussed the issue with some other people, but were primarily focused on allowing our daughter to have a blast watching two of her favorite musicians perform!
Was it inappropriate to do what we did? Not at all! What better time than a family event to bring up the fact that with the stroke of a pen, President Obama could protect thousands of LGBT families and workers from discrimination. We were invited, we didn't "crash" the event, nor did we do anything that was in any way disruptive to the festivities or the White House. What we accomplished was a lot. Later that day, at the White House press conference, an NBC reporter grilled the Press Secretary about our visit and message, and asked several questions about the executive order. This was the first time mainstream media has questioned the Obama Administration about this executive order, so for me, that was a huge win!
Are we the "self-iportant" media whores many have accused us of being? Far from it. Sure, we got a lot of press, and even had a live interview on MSNBC, but honestly, I'm never comfortable in front of cameras. I'll do this as long as I have to for our equality, but to be clear, I don't do it to have attention directed at me. My intent is to direct attention to the issue at hand, not myself.
So what's next? Pressure needs to be kept on the President to get this order signed. He has signed at least 7 executive orders in the past 6 months, so it's not like we're asking him to step above and beyond his duty as President. We can all play a part in this. You can email, write, or call the White House asking that this order be signed as quickly as possible, we simply can't wait for job protections! Beyond that, we should be looking at our community and having discussions with one another about why so many LGBT people and our allies think it is still acceptable to sit back and wait for it to be politically convenient, or for public opinion to be in the "right place" for us to ask for, or demand our rights! I believe it is far from acceptable to continue to think and act this way. We may also want to ask ourselves how it is that we can see support for this issue on conservative christian sites, but on certain LGBT blogs the focus is almost completely about the color of someone's hair, which is a sad and petty commentary.
Onward!
Saturday, March 17, 2012
My Road To Activism
I have had people ask me how I got "into" activism. It is an interesting story, and to me, "road to activism" stories are just as fascinating, diverse, and layered as "coming out" stories can be! For me, my activism has gone in waves. All of my life, I have been one to be very aware of the world around me, particularly of the hardships of the disenfranchised. High school saw me attempting (and failing) to start an underground newspaper, organizing and rallying students to save the job of a transgender teacher, doing some work for environmental justice and animal rights, and trying to organize a pro-peace rally during the first Gulf War. In my mind, those efforts were not very successful (looking back, I can see some awesome successes in them all), and that is probably the primary reason I sort of pulled into my shell for a couple decades!
I became what my friends call an armchair activist. Always hyper aware of things going on in the world, I was on top of every call in, and letter writing campaign, and later, as the internet started to take off, always on top of email campaigns and petition drives. This, along with frequently speaking my mind among friends and coworkers, was the extend of any activism I was engaged in. Then, during the summer of 2010, I sat at home, watching events unfold via Twitter. These were a set of direct actions taking place around the country over "Don't Ask Don't Tell" and also around getting a Trans inclusive ENDA (employment non discrimination act) passed. The emotional impact of watching live tweets from actions where people were sitting in on offices, or chaining themselves to the White House fence was huge for me! It literally started to reawaken my inner activist!
I spent the next few months diving into research on direct action, non violent action, social justice work. I read MLK, Gandhi, Thoreau, read up online about ACT-UP, Queer Nation, and on and on. I started doing some social justice work with people in my church. Then, in September of that year, President Obama came to Albuquerque. Myself and a few new activist friends were there in protest to pressure Obama to sign an executive order halting discharges under DADT until it was repealed. Being on the streets and taking direct action, I was instantly "at home"! For me, there was (and is) no going back. I have been organizing and causing a ruckus since then, and have seen first hand how direct action can truly yield results. This blog, for me, is another extension of this work. As outgoing State Lead of NM GetEQUAL, I have a few months left with my group (and in the state of NM), and will then be a Floridian. This blog will travel with me, and be, hopefully, a great way for me to both process shit in my own head, and help others along in their own journey!
Onward!
I became what my friends call an armchair activist. Always hyper aware of things going on in the world, I was on top of every call in, and letter writing campaign, and later, as the internet started to take off, always on top of email campaigns and petition drives. This, along with frequently speaking my mind among friends and coworkers, was the extend of any activism I was engaged in. Then, during the summer of 2010, I sat at home, watching events unfold via Twitter. These were a set of direct actions taking place around the country over "Don't Ask Don't Tell" and also around getting a Trans inclusive ENDA (employment non discrimination act) passed. The emotional impact of watching live tweets from actions where people were sitting in on offices, or chaining themselves to the White House fence was huge for me! It literally started to reawaken my inner activist!
I spent the next few months diving into research on direct action, non violent action, social justice work. I read MLK, Gandhi, Thoreau, read up online about ACT-UP, Queer Nation, and on and on. I started doing some social justice work with people in my church. Then, in September of that year, President Obama came to Albuquerque. Myself and a few new activist friends were there in protest to pressure Obama to sign an executive order halting discharges under DADT until it was repealed. Being on the streets and taking direct action, I was instantly "at home"! For me, there was (and is) no going back. I have been organizing and causing a ruckus since then, and have seen first hand how direct action can truly yield results. This blog, for me, is another extension of this work. As outgoing State Lead of NM GetEQUAL, I have a few months left with my group (and in the state of NM), and will then be a Floridian. This blog will travel with me, and be, hopefully, a great way for me to both process shit in my own head, and help others along in their own journey!
Onward!
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