LGBT ADHD

There has been a flurry of discussion in the last few weeks about the decision of the California Supreme Court regarding Proposition 8. And there are a lot of people out there that are still angry about the decision. In my little series here on community building within the LGBT community, I want to make sure that we're all talking straight with each other, so to speak.  We have to be sure each of us is properly informed in order to focus our communal voice.

I went to the rally outside the San Francisco City Hall the evening after the Prop 8 decision had been made. It felt good to get out and support something I felt so strongly about. To be part of the broader LGBT community for once in my life and actually feel as if there was a common bond that transcended any differences. But once I left the march and really thought about what occurred there, I don't think the message was totally tuned into what we need to be saying. And while it got people out and thinking about what was going on, which is HUGELY important - don't get me wrong - the message wasn't as clear as it probably could have been and didn't adequately describe what had happened. 

One of the speakers said that we had to act like our hair was on fire. I applaud his call to action, but you know these queens - they will take that and literally run around as if their hair IS on fire. Getting in people's faces, behaving like lunatics.

Focus is the name of the game, folks. And focus comes from not just reading headlines, but reading the backstory. Reading the corroborating materials - how many of you have actually read any of the actual text of the CA Supreme Court decision? Our society has become so lethargic that we don't even ensure that the information we have is of any substance. We take what we're told by the dreamy Anderson Cooper and believe that there's the story. That's all there is.

The most recent decision in California was not whether this type of discrimination was legal, or even desirable. It was a technical legal matter. It was about constitutional process. I'll pause to give some of my readers a break. I know I'm not necessarily speaking to those who get a kick out of my rantings and ravings. I am speaking to those who will probably never read my blog at all. To those who comment on Facebook links from HRC and Marriage Equality with comments that have nothing to do with the story or link that's posted. Instead they comment willy-nilly, as if their hair is on fire. The link will be about the most recent goings on in New York with a Senate shake-up and what that means for marriage equality legislation, and the comments will read something like, "If Iowa can do it, why can't California?" or "Why can't we all realize that everyone deserves rights?"  While I understand their passion and the importance of the statements they're making, why the non-sequitur? Do we not know enough about what's going on to discuss each point separately? Becoming specific to each argument is what's going to bring equality. Presumably, those of us who are fans of those pages feel similarly, so why not move past the generic rhetoric and speak substantively on the matter at hand?

Now, I realize that I'm being a bit bitchy. That I shouldn't be squashing someone's passion and conviction. Re-reading what I've written above makes me feel as if I've been unfair. Like I said though, I appreciate the passion, but think that part of moving forward as a community is making sure we all not only have our eyes on the prize, but have the intellectual tools necessary to actually get there. We need to understand each step and its impact on the movement in a real and concrete sense. This will give us the power, as a unified and empowered community, to change hearts and minds and ultimately reach our goal of full equality.