Why have we in the GLBT community been so successful over the last 20 years?

[closeupready]

There was a similar topic posed in GD, and while that one was useful, I'm more interested in thoughts from other members in the GLBT community, as to why we have been so astoundingly successful in winning our battles lately?

It seems like we've gone from one victory to another to another to another. Pleasant and vindicating, absolutely. But as someone who lived in an era when just being gay was sufficient cause to arrest and incarcerate private citizens, I'm flabbergasted at how fast our interests have advanced. (These advances didn't come fast enough to benefit my friends who've now passed on, but personally, I drew strength from knowing that they never gave up struggling to end discrimination, and died cursing those who hated and abused them.)

Does anyone else here want to offer their thoughts? Thanks in advance.

[1StrongBlackMan]

1. One quick and completely unrelated question ...

I've recently notice a difference in how the community is represented ... You reference the "GLBT" community (that's the term I am familiar with); but the Group name, and another DU that is a part of the community, refers to "LGBT".

I asked the DUer about this distinction (if there is one); but have not gotten a response.

If the latter is to challenge the systemic patriarchy that cuts across all communities ... I like it!

[closeupready]

2. No particular reason - I think the community of gender-nonconformist individuals

was first-referenced as a group here as GLBT. LGBT is fine, too. TBGL - it matters not to me. I'm just coasting along here, running on mere fumes, as it were. haha

[1StrongBlackMan]

3. Okay. Thanks.

I had a question so I went to, and accept the word of, those most informed on the topic.

[closeupready]

5. Cheers.

[Smarmie Doofus]

4. I'd say "in the last 5 years."

1. Not really a lot of movement before the Obama era. (I'm not sure whether to give him some credit or not. Remember all that "evolving" bullshit? ) And really not a lot before last 3 years or so.

I'll take a shot: defining "marriage" as the pre-eminent issue ( which I was pretty much against, actually) seems to have paid off spectacularly. Most of the big wins have been at the state level and have involved marriage.

Has that progress come at the expense of progress in other areas? Like job and housing discrimination, hate crimes, lgbt youth/school issues , etc. ? Seems like there's been much less movement there. One would hope for at least a ripple effect.

Back to marriage: maybe it's because marriage advocacy says to straights, "We're just like you!" Or... "we WANT to be." ( "Flattery is the infantry of negotiation.&quot

That's actually one of the reasons I was against "leading" w. marriage as a political issue. I didn't particularly FEEL like I was just like them. Nor did I particularly WANT to be.

But that's just me.

2. The country is run by corporations... pretty much outright at this point. We are the United States of Money. There is no money to be made by being against lgbt rights. Whereas the 1% had a longstanding political arrangement w. the cultural right wing for the last 40 years or so ( maybe longer) that alliance doesn't really make a lot of fiscal sense anymore. Why should Bill Gates care about homosexuality? Or Exxon? Or IBM? etc. etc. etc. If anything, discriminating against lgbts costs them at the bottom line.

[closeupready]

6. Great points.

As far as marriage goes, for me personally, it was always about non-discrimination, and never about rituals and ceremonies and reality shows. And if you are gay and it always WAS about those things, more power to you. Just saying, attacking a bedrock font of institutionalized homophobia served a lot of us, but in many different ways.

[Fearless]

10. I'd say it started before then though.

The seeds were planted decades ago, and took time to flourish.

[Smarmie Doofus]

12. Without a doubt.

I'm just trying to isolate the most immediate factors. Which, if I were pressed, I'd have to identify as the "marriage" strategy , first; and then gradual estrangement between the corporate RW and the cultural RW.

But it never could have happened w/o all the people in the 70s, 80s, and 90's .... many of them long-gone now.... who marched/demo-ed/came out/debated/sued/acted-up and just decided to LIVE their lives regardless of the consequences the majority was poised to unleash on them.

[joeybee12]

14. I agree...the results have all come very recently....

20 years ago includes 2004 when there were all sorts of anti-gay marriage amendments on the ballots, and they passed...none would today, except in very red areas...

[TeacherB87]

7. Rich, white gay men

The reason LGBT rights have advanced is that there are members of the community (albeit not a representative group) that occupy spaces of power and privilege. I would also use this to explain the lack of emphasis on minority gay outreach, and homeless gay youths. From the standpoint of these men, gay marriage and anti-discrimination laws are the only important battles.

[closeupready]

8. Hmmm ... well, I do think "politics makes strange bedfellows" is

sometimes really a very true expression of the reality of political activism. In that sense, I think what serves them (in this specific circumstance) helps serve everyone else in the GLBT community.

I do, however, believe the explanation is more complicated than that. But I appreciate your post.

[Fearless]

9. Because we transcend all other groups

We are white, black, rich, poor, male, female, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim. We are created out of the luck of the draw and anyone could happen to be LGBT indeterminate of their outward, visual background.

We exist in ever walk of life and therefore when we are out and proud and people know us for who we really are, they do respect us and do realize that we are not evil, sinful, perverted individuals, but friends, family, and icons. The further we throw back the lies about what we are, the quicker we become equal citizens in the world. It is in the places where old ignorance and stereotypes remain prevalent that we remain in danger.

When someone realizes that their son or daughter loves another man or woman... and truly understands that it's the same love that they feel for their spouse, hate melts away.

Hate has melted away a great deal in the past 20 years as more and more LGBT people step out of the shadows and illuminate the stereotypes for what they are--lies.

[dbackjon]

11. More and more people coming out helped tremendously

A snowball effect, if you will. As more people came out, it becomes less of a big deal, which encourages others to come out, etc.

Once you are out, it is much harder for most to continue to demonize gay people when you realize that your friend, co-worker. son, brother, sister etc is the very person you are demonizing.


I know when I came out, it changed the perception of gays among many of my friends/fraternity brothers - most didn't really know any gay guys, and since I didn't fit any of the "stereotypes" they believed all gay men most conform to, it made them reconsider how they felt/treated gays.

[burrowowl]

13. K&R

[La Lioness Priyanka]

15. because we are not an economic threat

there are usually two major sources of prejudice directed at people: one because they pose a economic threat and the other if they pose some sort of other danger. We only fall in the second category and not the first. hence, part of our progress is because people dont see gays as being an economic threat (since gays are spread across SEC and not just concentrated in one area)

[closeupready]

16. Yes - there was a time, of course, when the Vatican blamed gays

for everything bad in the world, including economic calamity.