3/31/13
At West Point, Andrew Sullivan is in awe of the rate of rapid change in the military since the repeal of DADT
I took a tour of West Point in August 2011 (one month before the full repeal of DADT) when everyone was still closeted, and now have hard time believing that I am seeing photos of openly gay and lesbian cadets. Life for the LGBT is shifting so fast, thank god!
Andrew Sullivan makes the same point in his blog, today:
There were around 30 gay cadets present, and then plenty of old boys (and girls), and military faculty. An older general was there – with his husband. It was a formal event held in a central building. And as I tried to absorb the moment, it occurred to me that a little over two years ago, all of those cadets would have been expelled for merely being there. Since the beginning of the institution, gay cadets were either subject to immediate discharge or, after 1993, under the policy of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, ordered to keep their sexual orientation secret or face dismissal. They were, in other words, forced to break the core ethic of the place – “a cadet will not lie …” – in order to remain in good standing with it. And it was that ancient alleged contradiction – between military honor and homosexuality – that was being dissolved that night.Andrew's full post
3/30/13
As LGBT activists, we are working to create a better world for ourselves...and future generations to come
To the future generations to come, like one of the men who made a "It Gets Better" video said, we may never meet or know you, but know that you are loved. That's the way I feel when spend time on the computer working for equality; I can feel the love of the Universe flowing through me.
3/29/13
I may not agree with this new pope's teachings on homosexuality, but I like his humility and simplicity...
I am under no illusions about the animus of the Catholic Church against the LGBT. However, I am hopeful that one day that this church will stop advocating for legislating their contorted moral beliefs on my civil rights and liberties, and will be begin a dialogue with the LGBT community. Naive? Maybe. But a little hope is better than no hope.
From the Daily Dish:
In his most significant break with tradition yet, Pope Francis washed and kissed the feet of two young women at a juvenile detention center — a surprising departure from church rules that restrict the Holy Thursday ritual to men.
No pope has ever washed the feet of a woman before, and Francis’ gesture sparked a debate among some conservatives and liturgical purists, who lamented he had set a “questionable example.” Liberals welcomed the move as a sign of greater inclusiveness in the church.
Speaking to the young offenders, including Muslims and Orthodox Christians, Francis said that Jesus washed the feet of his disciples on the eve of his crucifixion in a gesture of love and service. “This is a symbol, it is a sign. Washing your feet means I am at your service,” Francis told the group, aged 14 to 21, at the Casal del Marmo detention facility in Rome.
“Help one another. This is what Jesus teaches us,” the pope said. “This is what I do. And I do it with my heart. I do this with my heart because it is my duty. As a priest and bishop, I must be at your service.”
Quote for a Good Friday...
“I’m a Christian not because of the resurrection … and not because I think Christianity contains more truth than other religions … and not simply because it was the religion in which I was raised (this has been a high barrier). I am a Christian because of that moment on the cross when Jesus, drinking the very dregs of human bitterness, cries out, “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?” … The point is that he felt human destitution to its absolute degree; the point is that God is with us, not beyond us, in suffering,”
-- Christian Wiman.
3/28/13
Out, proud & not interested in a "skim milk marriage"
On Wednesday, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg said that DOMA creates "...two kinds of marriage: full marriage and the skim-milk marriage."
The young men hope to have a real marriage someday, not a pale imitation of it.
Scalia is not sure that gay people make good parents
"The idea that there is something so wrong with same-sex households that it would be preferable for these children to go two or four or six years without permanent parents — an idea, again, that has little to no evidence behind it, and that is in fact contradicted by most of the evidence — bespeaks a homophobia so deep that it is hard for me to believe it could persist long among people who actually know any children in the foster system, and who actually know many gay couples. [snip] The answer to Kagan’s question is that gay marriage doesn’t harm traditional marriage. But the answer to Scalia’s retort is that he’s got it precisely wrong: Gay marriage is good for children in the foster system."-- Ezra Klein, reacting to Justice Scalia's claim that there is "considerable disagreement" among sociologists regarding children adopted by gay parents
Via Joe.my.god
3/27/13
Lambda rising!
When I came out 30 years ago, as a college student in the DC area, the first gay place I went to was a LGBT bookstore called Lambda Rising, which proudly hung this neon sign in their window.
Yesterday, coincidently on the day of the Prop. 8 case before the Supreme Court, my 22-year-old gay "nephew," Jason Edward Tucker, was photographing the same sign, for the Smithsonian's LGBT archives, that greeted me at Lambda Rising when I came out at 22. Imagine my surprise when I saw this photograph on his Instagram account!
So much has happened during these 30 years. But one thing is clear: we are Lambda rising, indeed.
3/26/13
Why, in the end, the LGBT will achieve full equality...
We have love and more energy on our side:
ACT UP worked because America worked. I'm not sure we expected that, even as we hoped for it. It taught me that everything that is marginal and powerful in American life eventually becomes central, part of the great churning from edges to mainstream that is one of the most underheralded but deep-seated patterns of our politics. That politicians only ratify social changes that start elsewhere, while true leadership comes from the grassroots, and the people. And that whoever has the most energy in any political battle usually wins. ACT UP was a fireball of energy.--Garance Franke-Ruta
Two smart ways to learn more about today's Supreme Court hearing on Prop 8
Listen to the hearing yourself, which is challenging at times because our opponents and Justice Scalia try to deny our fundamental rights and basic humanity:
And read Ari Ezra Waldman's super smart and considered analysis of what happened today. Here is one of my favorite quotes from Ari:
Read more
And read Ari Ezra Waldman's super smart and considered analysis of what happened today. Here is one of my favorite quotes from Ari:
Hollingsworth may, therefore, end Prop 8, either on standing or the merits. Either way, everything about today's argument suggests that Mr. Cooper's conclusion is wrong. No one should have the right to vote on the legitimacy of my love. And no one has the right to hand me my rights like beneficences from a king. That is why the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) and its attorneys, Ted Olson and David Boies, took us to the Supreme Court. Today, our lawyers made us proud by revealing the basic infermity of Prop 8: it singles out gays, discriminates against them, and it does so for no reason.
Read more
Two fierce advocates for the LGBT, super lawyers David Boies and Ted Olson before and after the SCOTUS hearing
The dynamic duo on their way to court to represent the Constitutional rights of thousands of gay Californians like me.
After the SCOTUS hearing, Boies and Olson spoke to the press and introduced Prop. 8's awe-inspiring plaintifs. Watch below:
This tweet I received last night reminds me why we will never give up till all LGBT people are free...
The above tweet is from a good man in Pakistan. With love in our hearts, clear minds, and maniacal determination, things will to continue improve for LGBT people around the world. It won't be pretty or easy or quick, but we will prevail.
Quote of the day on marriage equality
Marriage is a source of great joy. But – and I speak as one who’ll celebrate a 25th anniversary this summer – it’s also a solemn undertaking: an undertaking to care for another person, to nurse that person when ill, to sustain her or him in time of trouble, to raise children together, to provide for those children, to mourn when it comes time to mourn.
No agency of government can ever begin to do for anyone what loving spouses do for each other. The stronger our families are, of every kind of family, the less government we’ll need.
Today your families gather before this house of the law to claim the right to live as others do, without shame and without fear. The mind of a nation is changing. It’s an awesome thing to see – and to be part of. Your words – your actions -and your example have power. And will overcome.--David Frumm, former marriage equality opponent, and conservative commentator
3/25/13
3/24/13
I am proud to see this new generation of the LGBT standing on our shoulders...celebrating themselves & life
My 30 years of gay activism feels worth it when I watch LGBT couple kiss in public and look so comfortable in their skin, with little or no shame. They are taking our movement for equality to an even higher level. Awesome!
Shameful! The neocons can't admit that they cooked the books on the evidence of WMDs in Iraq or that the Iraq war was mistake. Well, I can admit that I naive and wrong...
Condi, Cheney, Rumsfled, and George W. don't have a shred of integrity enough to admit they skewed the evidence of the Iraqis having WMDs to justify their neo-con strategy to invade Iraq and to a create an Arab 'democracy' in the Middle East. They try to spin history rather than take responsibility for their lies, foolishness, arrogance, cost to America ($2 trillion) and the lives lost of over 125,000 Iraqi, Americans and others.
I believed Colin Powell when he testified before the UN in 2003, showing manipulated evidence of WMDs; but I was woefully mistaken, and promise not to be so naive about my government's willingness to lie -- whether they be Republicans or Democrats -- to me and the world again. In contrast, the GOP and neocons cannot admit that they made a mistake -- in the same way they never apologized for the Vietnam War, Watergate, Contragate, their refusal to deal with AIDS for years, and their longtime opposition to the basic rights of gays, women, Latinos, and African-Americans.
Honest Abe is rolling over in his grave...
Andrew Sullivan on the new pople: "Where Benedict was a withdrawn absolutist, Francis is an engaged pragmatist...." He's been willing to dialogue with the LGBT community
Well, small steps are better than no steps at all, in my opinion:
Faced with the near certain passage of the gay marriage bill, Cardinal Bergoglio offered the civil union compromise as the “lesser of two evils,” said Sergio Rubin, his authorized biographer. “He wagered on a position of greater dialogue with society.”
In the end, though, a majority of the bishops voted to overrule him, his only such loss in his six-year tenure as head of Argentina’s bishops’ conference. But throughout the contentious political debate, he acted as both the public face of the opposition to the law and as a bridge-builder, sometimes reaching out to his critics.
“He listened to my views with a great deal of respect,” said Marcelo Márquez, a gay rights leader and theologian who wrote a tough letter to Cardinal Bergoglio and, to his surprise, received a call from him less than an hour after it was delivered. “He told me that homosexuals need to have recognized rights and that he supported civil unions, but not same-sex marriage.”
Andrew Sullivan opines...
Corporate America is increasingly standing up for fairness & marriage equality. Watch the CEO of Starbucks confront an anti-gay shareholder...fierce!
I love Starbucks (and Peets) for their green tea, good service, and pro-marriage equality stances. CEOs like Howard Schultz are making a huge difference in our movement for equality.
Hundreds of America's most innovative and influential companies, including Starbucks, filed brief asking SCOTUS to overturn DOMA and Prop. 8. This is an important development that reflects all the hard work the LGBT community has done over the decades, the most important of which has been millions of individuals coming out to family, friends, and co-workers.
3/23/13
Quote of the day, on the GOP & marriage equality
"Are GOP leaders secretly hoping that the Supreme Court, after it hears arguments on marriage equality next week, rules in favor of equality? That's certainly what a few were saying at the Conservative Political Action Conference last week, though not for attribution. [snip]
"The remark this week from Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus that it is kind of ok now for Republicans to support marriage equality -- or at least that they wouldn't be thrown under the bus -- combined with Scott Walker's mixed messages on the issue, Rick Santorum's continued belligerence, Marco Rubio's defensiveness (opposing gay marriage "does not make me a bigot") and Senator Inhofe's sheer speechlessness underscore that the GOP is in turmoil on the issue.
"The GOP's only hope, it seems, is for the Supreme Court to take the issue off the table entirely. It's ironic (and grotesque) that the party that has been the most vociferously anti-gay, the party that brutally attacked LGBT people for decades and exploited homophobia for political gain, may be praying that the justices next week begin the process of giving gays full equality."
-- Michelangelo Signorile, writing for the Huffington Post.
16-year-old Jack Andraka is a scientific genius & gay. At 15, he invented an inexpensive way to detect pancreatic cancer
He was won awards from the Smithsonian, Geoffrey Moore Foundation, and Intel.
Jack is openly and proudly gay. Read this article on him.
3/22/13
JPEG of the day: America's shameful record of gun-related murders
American Deaths by War:
American Civil War. 625,000.
World War II. 405,399.
World War I. 116,516.
Vietnam. 58,151.
Korean War. 36,516.
And thousands of Americans will continue to die in the name of "gun freedom," thanks to NRA lobbying and GOP policies on this issue. I believe in the right to bear arms, but not in every type of gun and weapon. We need universal background checks and common sense policies.
"Choose love:" A 12-year-old Rhode Island boy makes the essential argument for marriage equality & LGBT movement:
"If there's one thing you don't mess with in life, it's love. My parents and all the other gay and lesbian people here want to be happy, just like you. All they want is to be treated fairly. But unlike most of you, they have to come again here year after year and explain over and over why their love is equal to yours. This year, you have the opportunity to change that. I say, choose love.”
--Matthew Lannon
3/21/13
Already called a 'historic' speech, yesterday, Obama told Israelis the truth: you've got to have empathy for the Palestinians & be bold to create peace
Interestingly enough, in the documentary film "The Gatekeepers," the six former heads of Israel’s secretive internal security service come to the same conclusion: that war will never win the peace in the long-run; that the Israeli government must dialogue with the Palestinians, build personal bonds and develop trust, and find creative and equitable ways to live next door with one another.
Check out these wonderful pictures of everyday Iran by a Western photographer who spent months there
From the Boston Globe:
View all the photos here. Too bad most Iranians, especially women and LGBT, are treated poorly by this autocratic, fundamentalist regime.
A sign of the times: read about this story overheard on the New York City subway. Society is changing...
Check out this conversation that Rafi D'Angelo overhead between two working-class dads on their way home from work:
I was on my way to work, zoned out listening to some old school Shania Twain to get my life right, when two construction worker types got on the train at Penn Station. They were both middle-aged white guys with Long Island accents, mustaches, dirty jeans — the type of guys you’d expect to see on a building site. I caught a piece of their conversation when the music died before the song changed, and I decided to record them.
Normally, boring people and their boring conversations don’t interest me in the least, but the music dropped out right when Guy #1 said “My wife wants me to get fixed like a dog but I don’t see why she can’t just keep taking the pill.” That in itself isn’t inherently interesting, but the fact that he was openly discussing it on a public subway train made me hit the record button real quick to see what else would come out. I’ve been doing this for about 6 months now, trying to catch interesting things on the subway, but I haven’t had any luck so far because I ride boring trains.
Today was good though.
Guy #2: No more kids for you two?
Guy #1: No, she figures we’re both getting too old for a baby.Guy #2: How is your boy anyway? Haven’t seen him in awhile.
Guy #1: Oh John’s good, pitching this year varsity.Guy #2: He’ll definitely have the girls hanging around him now.
Guy #1: Yeah if he had any time for them.Guy #2: Focused on baseball?
Guy #1: Focused on boys.Guy #2: You’re shittin me!
Guy #1: I kid you not. Came out to me and Mary Ann bold as daylight last year.Guy #2: Well I’ll be damned! I’m not supposed to know it but I overheard Patrick Junior tell his sister he might be gay not two months ago.
Guy #1: We all saw that coming though.Guy #2: You’re the second person to say that. How’d everybody see it but me?
Guy #1: It was just a feelin Pat. He was always a little soft, ya know?Guy #2: I guess you’re right. But damn Charlie, we both have gay kids. What do we do now? Both our sons are gay.
Guy #1: We don’t do anything. We let em be gay and if some kid calls em a faggot we go to their house and raise hell with the parents like normal.Guy #2: Well I guess John and Lucinda won’t be getting together like we thought awhile ago.
Guy #1: Guess not.**long pause**
Guy #2: Hey Charlie, you thinkin what I’m thinkin?
Guy #1: I was for about half a second then it got weird and I started thinkin about somethin else instead.
The story about how one man stood up for himself and other working class Americans. Scott Prouty exposed Romney for his elitism, including a stealth plan to revoke to the New Deal
I know this story ran a few weeks ago, when I was busy attending my grandmother's funeral, but I think this ordinary citizen deserves to be honored celebrated for his patriotic and selfless act of compassion. As always, the truth shall set us free.
3/20/13
To our anti-gay opponents, I ask, "why does this picture scare you?"
What are you afraid of? Look into yourself and tell me. How are the young men in this picture going to hurt your marriage or family?
3/19/13
A gay college athlete talks to the Toronto Blue Jays about the harmful effects of homophobia and anti-gay language
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From Outsports:
As collegiate athletes, we have people idolize us. We have surpassed many in our sports and have the drive and dedication it takes to succeed. We walk around our prospective campuses feeling pretty exceptional.
This weekend, I walked into a room of 160 minor league baseball players one day and 40 Major League players the next and got to feel the other side. I walked in a mere collegiate runner to talk to grown men about homophobia.
I cracked a joke to break the ice -- "At high schools and colleges, I usually start off by saying that I was a two time state champion, but that won't impress anyone here." I then began addressing them, speaking in both English and Spanish. After telling them my hardships of coming out, they no longer looked at me as some semi-talented athlete, but more as a courageous man taking the initiative. The players did not ask any questions but complimented us on how [Patrick Burke and I] did speaking to them.
It was amazing knowing that Patrick and I got to teach a group of awesome ballplayers the effects "faggot" and "homo" -- and their Spanish equivalents -- can have on someone, regardless if they are gay or not. We had guys nodding during our presentation, showing signs of agreement.
The change in attitude from when we walked in to halfway through our speech was incredible. The players went from joking around and using their cellphones to connecting with Patrick and I.
The management was thrilled, especially General Manager Alex Anthopoulos, who thought we did an amazing job and was ecstatic with the players' response. I believe the meeting went well and if we can get to do this throughout the rest of Major League Baseball, we can go a long way to ending homophobia in professional baseball.
--Jose Estevez
3/18/13
This adopted kid wrote a letter to Chief Justice John Roberts about the love in his gay-led family. Heart-warming!
Daniel speaks from the heart...and from his direct experience of having gay parents. There is no Christianist, anti-gay bullshit, just pure love.
And that's why the LGBT equality movement is winning the hearts and minds of Americans: it is about love!
Breaking the chain
Our suffering was not caused by our parents or grandparents. It was merely passed down. We are social animals. We grow through modeling. We teach what we have learned. We act as we have been acted upon. A person who is not loving has not experienced love. It is not his fault. Realizing this gives rise to forgiveness. And in Chan we vow that suffering will stop with us. We will not pass it down.
--Guo Jun via Tricycle.com
3/17/13
This new pope, while not supportive of my rights as a gay person, may be a wee bit more humble and humane than his predecessor. It's a start...
“Given that many of you do not belong to the Catholic Church, and others are not believers, I give this blessing from my heart, in silence, to each one of you, respecting the conscience of each one of you, but knowing that each one of you is a child of God. May God bless you.”
--Francis I
In the above quote from his first press conference as pope, I like how Francis showed spiritual respect for the conscience of every human being, including all of humankind, not just Catholics, in his prayers.
The historical record shows Francis was ferocious enemy of marriage equality in Argentina (and may have been complicit with that country's murderous military junta in the 1980s), so I am under no illusions about him being a sweet and humble ole guy. However, I appreciate this spark of humanity and compassion from the leader of the largest church in the world. It is a hopeful sign
In the above quote from his first press conference as pope, I like how Francis showed spiritual respect for the conscience of every human being, including all of humankind, not just Catholics, in his prayers.
The historical record shows Francis was ferocious enemy of marriage equality in Argentina (and may have been complicit with that country's murderous military junta in the 1980s), so I am under no illusions about him being a sweet and humble ole guy. However, I appreciate this spark of humanity and compassion from the leader of the largest church in the world. It is a hopeful sign
3/16/13
Quote of the day
“I’m embarrassed to call myself a Republican right now,”
--Jimmy LaSaliva, co-founder and president of the gay conservative group GOProud, said at the CPAC
Senator Rob Portman's change of heart in support of marriage equality is a reminder of Harvey's belief in the power of everyone coming out
"Most importantly, ... every gay person must come out. As difficult as it is, you must tell your immediate family, you must tell your relatives, you must tell your friends if indeed they are your friends, you must tell your neighbors, you must tell the people you work with, you must tell the people at the stores you shop in. And, once they realize we are indeed their children and we are indeed everywhere, every myth, every lie, every innuendo will be destroyed once and for all. And, once you do, you will feel so much better."
--Harvey Milk
3/15/13
Poor Marco Rubio: he is against my right to marry but does not want to be labeled as a 'bigot'. Ok , so I will call out his behavior for what it is: bigoted & selfish!
I am sure those who were against the abolition of slavery, property ownership and voting by women, and inter-racial marriage did not want to be considered bigots either. For Marco and others who resist the advancement of human rights for all Americans, it must be hard to look in the mirror and believe that you are protecting and upholding the U.S. Constitution. But, then again, 'denial is a big river' as the saying goes.
3/14/13
The GOP's war against gays is faltering: today, Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio announced his support for marriage equality!
Harvey Milk was right: coming out is our secret and most powerful weapon as a community. Senator Portman's son came out to him two years ago and he then convinced his dad to change his position on marriage equality. Check out this story.
BTW, before this announcement, Sen. Portman has rated 0 by HRC for his anti-gay voting record.
Very quickly, the GOP's war on gays is beginning to look like a political loser -- while it has always been a source of shame for the party that once was Lincoln's.
Quote of the day about Pope Francis I
"For decades the Catholic hierarchy has been in need of desperate reform. In his life, Jesus condemned gays zero times. In Pope Benedict's short time in the papacy, he made a priority of condemning gay people routinely. This, in spite of the fact, that the Catholic hierarchy had been in collusion to cover up the widespread abuse of children within its care. We hope this Pope will trade in his red shoes for a pair of sandals and spend a lot less time condemning and a lot more time foot-washing."
- GLAAD's President Herndon Graddick
3/13/13
3/12/13
Quote of the day: "This is not the Vatican. It’s Melrose Place."
"The damage Benedict XVI has done to the Catholic Church and the papacy may be far from over. All I can say about yesterday’s developments is that they seem potentially disastrous and also indicative to me of something truly weird going on underneath all of this. Benedict’s handsome male companion will continue to live with him, while working for the other Pope during the day. Are we supposed to think that’s, well, a normal arrangement? This man – clearly in some kind of love with Ratzinger (and vice-versa) will now be working for the new Pope as secretary in the day and spending the nights with the Pope Emeritus. This is not the Vatican. It’s Melrose Place."-- Andrew Sullivan on The Daily Dish
3/10/13
One Zen lesson that I keep having to re-learn...as an LGBT activist and Zen practitioner
People are afraid that if they let go of their anger and righteousness and wrath, and look at their own feelings—and even see the good in a bad person—they're going to lose the energy they need to do something about the problem. But actually you get more strength and energy by operating from a place of love and concern. You can be just as tough, but more effectively tough.
--Robert Thurman
I recently saw the movie "No" and was reminded that, in order to persuade people to your point of view, anger and righteousness are not the most compelling ways to do it, even when you have been subjected to all sorts of indignities - including discrimination, torture, and other abuses, like the LGBT community has. Rather, in most situations, communicating from a place of 'love and concern' tends to be more effective way of persuading others to your point of view. Especially when your intended audience can personally relate to your positive-oriented messages.
For example, in the recent marriage equality battles in November, the pro-marriage forces won for the first time by conveying the message that the LGBT have the same "love and commitment" to their partners as straight people do. These winning ads included straight people talking about their relationships and how they want to extend the same rights and responsibilities of marriage to the LGBT families in their lives. In previous elections, we had failed, often, with angry TV commercials focused on our grievances and demands.
Of course, there are exceptions to this lesson as ACT-UP proved in the late 80s. These savvy LGBT and AIDS activists used their anger to get the attention of policy makers and the general public about the fact that thousands were dying because of the homophobia, lack of political leadership, and bureaucracy of Reagan and Bush administrations. They used non-violent, creative means to express their frustration, garnering hours of free media coverage. And once they got their attention, ACT-UP leaders sat down and had constructive conversations with the political and medical establishments -- leading to the development of new drugs that keep millions of people alive.
Sadly, these lessons learned were lost on the Occupy Wall Street movement, who gave voice to their anger with the 1%, but little else. And often these lessons are lost on me, including in my political conversations with homophobic opponents and a few conservative family members. In short, I can be a more effective communicator by tapping into my wisdom and compassion.
The only way I am going to truly learn this lesson is to be more aware of my thoughts and behavior, and to extend the 'love and concern', that Robert Thurman talks about, to myself.
--Joe
I recently saw the movie "No" and was reminded that, in order to persuade people to your point of view, anger and righteousness are not the most compelling ways to do it, even when you have been subjected to all sorts of indignities - including discrimination, torture, and other abuses, like the LGBT community has. Rather, in most situations, communicating from a place of 'love and concern' tends to be more effective way of persuading others to your point of view. Especially when your intended audience can personally relate to your positive-oriented messages.
For example, in the recent marriage equality battles in November, the pro-marriage forces won for the first time by conveying the message that the LGBT have the same "love and commitment" to their partners as straight people do. These winning ads included straight people talking about their relationships and how they want to extend the same rights and responsibilities of marriage to the LGBT families in their lives. In previous elections, we had failed, often, with angry TV commercials focused on our grievances and demands.
Of course, there are exceptions to this lesson as ACT-UP proved in the late 80s. These savvy LGBT and AIDS activists used their anger to get the attention of policy makers and the general public about the fact that thousands were dying because of the homophobia, lack of political leadership, and bureaucracy of Reagan and Bush administrations. They used non-violent, creative means to express their frustration, garnering hours of free media coverage. And once they got their attention, ACT-UP leaders sat down and had constructive conversations with the political and medical establishments -- leading to the development of new drugs that keep millions of people alive.
Sadly, these lessons learned were lost on the Occupy Wall Street movement, who gave voice to their anger with the 1%, but little else. And often these lessons are lost on me, including in my political conversations with homophobic opponents and a few conservative family members. In short, I can be a more effective communicator by tapping into my wisdom and compassion.
The only way I am going to truly learn this lesson is to be more aware of my thoughts and behavior, and to extend the 'love and concern', that Robert Thurman talks about, to myself.
--Joe
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