May I Ask For a Mutually Beneficial Favor From GLBT DUers,...

[MarianJack]

...especially those in Maine, or at least upper New England? We live in Augusta, Maine.

Pardon me if this a bit long, but this comes from the heart of a man who has seen "Philadelphia" about 20 times and still always spends the last 15 minutes crying. I think that GLBT DUers pretty much know where I stand, but maybe I should give you a bit of an explanation as to WHY I stand where I do.

When I was a child, my father (who personally was a true son of a bitch but politically VERY MUCH on the right side) instilled in me a belief that you stand with the people who are being bullied, beaten down and hated by most of society. We watched Dr. King's "I Have A Dream" speech on TV when I was 8. We went to anti-Vietnam war protests in the late 60's and early 70's when I was in my mid-teens and my brother and sister were little more than toddlers. His attitude was that he served in 2 wars so his sons and daughters wouldn't have to. He, my step mother and I were all members of George McGovern's "Million Member Club" in 1972. He taught me the Burke quote that "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to stand by and do nothing".

Today, 4 months from my 51st birthday, I still believe these things, as does ChicaAzul, as do we try to instill in our almost 6 year old son.

About this time last year, Plaid Adder, the DUer whose opinions I respect more than any other, wrote that in the bushie's & fundie's crusades to lambaste Sponge Bob and to intimidate PBS from showing an episode of a cartoon where a lesbian says "hello" to a cartoon bunny, there was a blueprint for what they want to do to EVERYBODY! She cautioned us that the GLBT community was "the canary in the coal mine". She spoke of Sesame Street, and how that show was instrumental in teaching a whole generation of young Americans that racial diversity was good, and they WEREN'T ABOUT to let that happen with the GLBT community. When somebody I respect as much as I do the Adder speaks, I listen. When that person confirms what I was already thinking, I REALLY listen. (Plaid Adder, if you're reading this, first, thank you, and second, If I misquote you I'm sorry, but I believe I've gotten the spirit of that particular post right. At least this is the impression I got from it!)

Last year, we volunteered to be active in the "No on 1" campaign, which was in opposition to the "Christian" Civic League's campaign of lies the Maine law guaranteeing equal rights to Gays was actually a gay marriage law.

When I spoke to the volunteer coordinator, I Id'd myself and my wife as straight Roman Catholics who stood with the GLBT and were NOT going to be silenced in our support. However, I never heard from her again. ChicaAzul & I always felt (admittedly with no concrete evidence) that she considered us to be suspect due to our faith. Given how so many people who profess Christianity act in public I can't really blame her. Their conduct is embarrassing to me, to! But we also believed that that would make us even MORE credible advocates and supporters, at least as illustrations that the fundies/evangelicals don't monolithically represent all Christians.

What I want to ask is this. If you are a GLBT DUer in the upper New England area, especially in Central Maine, ChicaAzul and I want to do whatever we can do in our limited time and with our limited $$$$ to help advocate for Gay/Lesbian rights and equality. Hopefully you know my stance and the sincerity of it. If there is anything we can do, please PM me.

This is a genuine, sincere and from the heart offer!

Thank you in advance, thanks for reading, and as always,...

PEACE!

[Midlodemocrat]

1. What a beautiful post.

I am also a heterosexual Roman Catholic, married, with three kids and many gay and lesbian friends.

It is hard here in Virginia, but I am doing my damndest to promote equal rights for all.

[MarianJack]

7. YEP!

If we could go back in time and count how many Gays and Lesbians were marching for civil rights and against the Vietnam war, I'd venture to gather the answer would be A WHOLE LOT!

[xchrom]

2. i'm not in maine -- but thank you for your efforts.

[MarianJack]

8. I Believe in a Ripple Effect.

Advances in one place will lead to advances elsewhere!

[kweerwolf]

3. I'm truly sorry you were made to feel "suspect"

I think most of us in the LGBT community have felt a bit like separatists at times. I know I've defintely had my moments when I believed heterosexuals would never fully understand not support LBGT issues and have lashed out that the only difference between the average heterosexual and Fred Phelps is how deeply you have to scratch to find the bigotry.

For many of us, such moments of doubt about straight allies comes when we watch state after state enact anti-marriage equality laws and use us as a boogieman to scare their constituents to the polls. Having gone through the marriage fight here a couple of years ago, I've seen the LGBT community demoralized by being rejected by a huge margin of the people we share our state with.

But now, two years later, I think there is a new sense of willingness to build coalitions with progressive heterosexuals. I have to remind myself sometimes that, being white, I can never fully understand what black Americans face ... but that won't stop me from trying to learn about the issues they face and standing with them against racism. I'm learning that many straight allies feel the same way about LGBT issues.

I hope your experience won't discourge you from getting involved. Having worked on campaigns (such as the marriage issue) in the past, I know it's not always possible for a small staff and corps or volunteers to contact every person. Even if someone doesn't get contacted or put to work by a group, there is still plenty that can be done to help the effort simply by speaking out. Straight folks have the ability to reach voters that would be turned off by talking to LGBT folks, so your voices are not jump important, but vital.

[MuseRider]

5. HI!

Are you still or have you come to the KEC JoCo meetings? I hear they are getting a pretty good head count and the board is up and running.

[kweerwolf]

9. Hey MuseRider!

I couldn't make the first meeting, but I understand it was well-attended. I hope to make the meetings in the future since it sounds like such a great group. I had a meeting with one of the folks involved last Sunday on unrelated matters and he was impressed by the KEC. Once Friday gets here (and I have my paycheck safely in hand!) I'm hoping to get a membership check sent off.

[MuseRider]

13. Oh thank you!

We need to get a strong membership going. Proud2Blib was there and she said that they did not have enough chairs, YAY!

I hope to meet you soon, there are several things coming up and we are very busy. I think we are already making a difference here and it feels soooooo good.

[MarianJack]

10. I Don't Know How You Feel, kweerwolf,...

...because I'm a straight middle afed white man. I do know, however, that like a pebble in a pond, what happens to the detriment of some, or even 1 of us will eventually hurt all of us.

Let me clarify that the young lady I spoke with did NOTHING to make me feel uncomfortable. She may have been simply OVERWORKED. I also could have put some distance between my comfy chair and my rather large ass and gone to do something anyway. I did hake my opinions heard at every opportunity.

BTW, if the marriage question ever comes to a vote here in Maine, WE will vote in favor of it.

As I Mentioned in another response, if we could go back in time and count the Gays and Lesbians marching in the civil rights and anti-war movements, I'm sure that the number would have been large.

Another BTW, ChicaAzul and I have so many Gays and Lesbians in our family that we couldn't afford to be Homophobes even if we wanted to be.

Peace and Prosperity to you!

[MuseRider]

4. One thing to consider,

it might be this particular campaign and how or who is running it. I, like you am a straight ally. I jumped into a city GLBT rights campaign and was hooked. Our marriage amendment vote was the next month and considering that our little city campaign was the only successful GLBT campaign in the state we thought we could all be good help. They did not want some of us, some gay some not, it was just a different campaign run by different people.

I jumped in with both feet anyway and ended up on a state wide steering committee and we now have a state wide GLBT rights group with chapters and growing membership. I have been working with these people now for almost a year. I don't know who is GLBT or not unless they told me. I have had little problem with not being GLBT but it takes building trust. That was easy, just sticking by what you are doing or trying to do allows people to build that trust. Keep it up, as you know it is the right thing to do.

In my whole entire 52 years on this planet I have never met a better group of people than the people I am working with now. Stick with it, you will find the right situation and the right people.

Lovely post MarianJack, we are all in this together. No one is free until everyone is free.

[MarianJack]

12. We ARE All In This Together!

One thing that amazes me is the credibility given by the media to the lies that the right promulgates about Gays/Lesbians.

Not only in our family, but in meeting Gays/Lesbians who are fellow adoptive parents, we have found them to be among the most loving and caring individuals we've had the pleasure of meeting. GREAT parents, too!

[MuseRider]

14. I have several GLBT friends

who are parents, some adoptive and some not and they are wonderful parents, just like so many who are not GLBT. Why would anyone ever consider it to be otherwise?

Things are fairly quiet here right now and I think that is because we mobilized. I don't think the right ever thought we would or could accomplish it but we did and now they are having to listen to us.

Everyone we educate and touch has the opportunity to choose their path. Most people who have not totally given their thoughts over to someone else are always touched by the stories and are more than willing to listen and consider what it means to vote for things like the marriage amendments.

Keep looking, you will find your group. I really believe it is not the people or their lack of trust but more likely the way the campaign is being run.

[MarianJack]

15. I Wouldn't Consider It Otherwise, Either.

It amazes me how the right claims that GLBT people are bad parents but continually ignore the scandals in their own back yard. Did you know that Susan Smith's father used to celebrate an evening of molesting her by goingout and hanging "pat robertson for president" posters". You remember Smith, the woman whose murder of her children was blamed on Democrats by newt gingrich?

[OneBlueSky]

6. why not call her again and ask for a sit-down? . . .

explain your movivation one more time, and ask her about her reservations . . . sometimes all it takes is addressing the problem head-on to reach a mutually advantageous solution . . .

[MarianJack]

11. I'd Do This, but I don't remember her name.

I AM, however, going to go DO, not wait to be asked.

If you lnow that something is right, you don't wait to be asked to do it. I'll admit that I lost sight of that, and in future will put distance between my chair and my BIG ass!

Thanks, OneBlueSky!