A big welcome to Robin McGehee, the co-founder, with Kip Williams, of GetEqual! Robin was one of the organizers of last week's pro-ENDA protest in front of Nancy Pelosi's office in San Francisco. Kossack jpmassar met Robin at the rally and she graciously accepted an invitation to do a Q&A blog with people here on Daily Kos.
Check out this speech she gave at a rally on May 31st, 2009, starting at about 4 min, 30 seconds:
Inside, a little history of the LGBT community's relationship with civil disobedience, a question and answer with Robin who is logged in as RobinGetEQUAL and prepared to answer questions directly.
Civil Disobedience and the LGBT Community
Everything old is new again. The modern gay rights movement is popularly believed to have been born on June 27, 1969, at an event known as the Stonewall riots. The anniversary of Stonewall is celebrated on the last Sunday in June each year with Pride marches in New York, San Francisco and across the nation and globe.
But the amidst the misty nostalgia and grateful recognition of how far the LGBT community has come, many forget, not only that was it violent riot, it was a spontaneous act of civil disobedience.
Rather than submit to the usual and unremarkable arrests and shakedowns of the New York City police, the patrons of the Stonewall Inn said together: "Enough!" And they resisted arrest. And they rose up and assaulted cops, with cans, bottles, rocks and their fists. And it lasted for days.
History vindicated these accidental activists' assault on the New York City's law men. In 2004 original veterans,both rioters and police reunited, marching together in the New York City Gay Pride parade to mark the 35th anniversary of the riot. The site was designated by the Federal Government as a national historic landmark in 1999. [More on Stonewall here.]
Another thing often overlooked is, in the process of this civil disobedience, the gay community obtained a Civil Right previously denied them: the right to free association. Prior to the Stonewall incident, in most places gay bars or gathering establishments were considered illegal and open targets for raids and police harassment. It was presumed it was within the government's appropriate jurisdiction to dictate to LGBT Americans who they may or may not fraternize with. Though raids unfortunately continue to this day, it is now properly accepted that the LGBT citizens are permitted the right of free association.
As the radical tactics of the 60s and 70s lost favor in the 80s, the LGBT community too transitioned into more docile and mainstream tactics of lobbying for legal equality, with the rise of traditional lobbying groups, like Human Campaign Rights. Radicalism gave way to K-Street offices and cocktail parties.
The Rise of Act Up
Then the AIDS crisis hit. Though earliest cases were identified in 1981, by the late 80s, the government response—from the Center for Disease Control, the National Institute of Health and the Federal Drug Administration—was still lackadaisical, impotent and wholly insufficient to address the hundreds of thousands of deaths that were ravaging the LGBT community.
By 1987, recognizing our K-Street lobbying groups where not getting the job done, a group of activists, sprang to action. Calling themselves the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (Act Up) they mounted a long series of spectacularly headline-grabbing civil disobedient actions. These included:
• On March 24, 1987, Act-Up NY shut down the New York Stock Exchange, resulting in 73 arrests.
• On April 15, 1987 they disrupted taxpayers filing last-minute tax returns at NYC's General Post Office.
• On January 31, 1988, Act-Up they shut down the Golden Gate Bridge during rush-hour ruining many Bay Area resident's daily commute.
The idea: to make it no longer so convenient for America to continue to ignore the AIDS crisis. And, in the end, an apathetic Federal Government was prodded into using their resources at the FDA, NIH and CDC to address the crisis that had swept the LGBT community unnoticed for years. [More on Act Up here and here.]
In March 2007, as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act languished for its 34th year in the United States Congress, a founding member of Act Up, Larry Kramer made the call to a new generation to also act up:
Kramer said that today's judges who rule against same-sex marriage and politicians who vote against laws to expand rights for lesbian and gay people are "equally threatening as AIDS" used to be.
"I think the courts that continue to deny us our rights are evil," Kramer said. "We are not equal, and I'm sick of it, and every gay person should be sick of it and every gay person should be ashamed if they're 'passing.'"
Matt Foreman of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force agrees. Days later, immediately after his own arrest protesting "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" at a Army recruitment Center in NYC, he said:
"I do feel that the time for direct action is back," said Foreman, who was last arrested at a protest in 1991. "One thing the movement has lacked for many years is a left flank. We got where we did with AIDS because we had ACT UP on one hand and the professionals in suits on the other."
One of the people responding to the call for direct action is Robin McGehee. Appropriately, her organization has taken its name from the simplicity of its goal: to GetEQUAL. GetEqual has taken the lead in organizing acts of civil disobedience and engaging in other newsworthy protests. You may remember when, recently, the President's speech was interrupted during a fundraiser for Senator Barbara Boxer. That was GetEqual. And they were the instigators when on April 20th:
Six people in military uniforms*, including Lt. Dan Choi, handcuffed themselves to the North Lawn fence of the White House today to protest the fact that the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy has not been repealed.
[*Note: these were actual servicemembers and veterans, not costumed protestors as CBS and other media outlets implied. The information to verify that was made readily available.]
Just days ago, GetEqual members held protests demanding passage of ENDA in Washington DC and Chicago, with some arrests.
GetEqual's tactics seem to have also spurred on copy-cat work from other LGBT grassroots activists. In recent months groups not affiliated with GetEqual, have mounted civilly disobedient actions at the New York City Marriage Bureau, a sit-in at Senator John McCain's office and Senator Dick Durbin's office, and HIV activists used a Presidential visit in New York to stage a protest of HIV funding cuts. Eight activists were arrested that day.
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You can also find a bit more background on Robin and GetEqual in this diary, from late April. We (jpmassar and Clarknt67) thought we'd start off the Q&A with a couple of questions we posed that Robin answered before we posted, just to get the discussion going.
Q. I understand GetEqual isn't your first foray into political activism. Want to tell us about your history on that?
I was involved as a citizen activist from the moment I moved to Fresno, CA in 1996, before that I had been an organizer in Mississippi. During the Prop 8 campaign, I became even more active, although not by choice, but necessity. The Central Valley was left behind enemy lines to defend ourselves against the sea of yellow Yes on 8 signs that blanketed the Valley. All of our rallies and organizing efforts were self-funded, self-organized and self-protected. During that time, I took a public stance on television, at rallies and in community building to work to defeat Prop 8. I was also the President of my son's Parent Teacher Organization and 4 days after we lost the election, I was forced to resign by the Priest who oversaw the elementary school where Sebastian had been attending (although we had been completely out from the beginning and asked to run for the president position). After that event, I worked with a community of people to organize the statewide effort, Meet in the Middle for Equality, which drew over 3000 people to the middle of the state to stand up against the "middle-America values" that had stripped a minority groups rights away. That effort led to being asked by Cleve Jones to help organize the National Equality March, where four months later we brought over 150,000 people to March on Washington.
Q. What was the straw that broke your back? What finally pushed you to form GetEqual and devote all your time and energy to this cause?
There are two defining moments - 1st) realizing that AFTER we had already lost the election, this homophobic Priest tried to control and silence me (a mother who only wants to volunteer and help out at her son's school) by saying that because of my "public stance around Prop 8" he was not going to allow me to volunteer at the school anymore (although Sebastian was free to stay). I thought immediately, there is no stopping them. If they had their way, we would be moved to the foothills and put in gay camps or worse. And, if they will stop at nothing - when do we start fighting back proactively, instead of in a reactive nature. 2) I also felt MUCH HOPE, although a right had just been stripped away from our community. I had HOPE, because a man who spoke the language of equality so "fierce" and strong had won. I thought - they may have won, but we have an "advocate" in the White House. When Barack did not come out more strongly when the CA Supreme Court came down with their decision and when the DOJ released their DOMA brief, or when ENDA seemed to be getting the stall, over and over and over again - I finally said, ENOUGH. I have a dear friend, Kip Williams, who is a fantastic organizer from San Francisco and he and I just talked continually about the fact that we have no one to blame, but ourselves, if we don't push harder to get equal (no pun intended :)
Q. Why not use your energy to organize more phone calling, letter writing and lobbying efforts?
I am sick and tired of the excuses that "we" have not done our job. I/We have lobbied, phone banked, written letters, gone door-to-door, etc - and, no matter what we do we are still left with inequality and a lack of liberty and justice for all. I have a dear friend, Paul Yandura, who is an amazing political strategist and he often makes a great remark about the statements made regarding our "lobbying efforts" - he'll say, "if healthcare reform did not pass - would we blame the uninsured for not lobbying enough, phone banking enough, not writing enough letters?" The truth is, we continue to be put on the back burner and every issue becomes more important than our equality. We are NOT on equal playing field. We are not even at par. We deserve full equality, nothing less, and then - we can operate in the system as if we have a chance. Right now, I'm tired of being catered to when X person is running for office, but quickly getting the door slammed in my face the moment they win.
Q. What do you say to people who say your tactics like heckling the President at Barbara Boxer's fund raiser are turning off supporters and/or are counter-productive?
There are all types of roles that can be played in this political game. All of the roles have value and all of the roles, hopefully, produce change. I do not believe we are hurting efforts and there are many reasons I come to that conclusion. Many successful movements have included non-violent civil disobedience - as a movement/community we need to work to discover any tactic that will bring us to equality. If we lose supporters for standing up for the right to be equal, that supporter was not a very strong supporter to begin with - if anything, our allies should be joining us.
Q. What kind of feedback do you get from allies in Congress? Do they tell you, sotto voce, "Keep it up!" or is it mostly negative?
From the VERY top of the political chain to organizational figure heads - we have gotten much "off the record" support and kudos - but, honestly, that means nothing to me. I want to see action. If you think this is a good idea, then use our efforts and go make the change happen. I do not want to have to organize protest, rallies and arrest around a party and a President that I believed in - I want to be able to work to elect and re-elect good leaders who are working to give our community what it deserves, equal protection under the law. I get tired of watching our leaders only focus on who they have a good relationship with or who they can get to speak at their fundraiser - I am sick of politicians offering a CliffsNotes version of the rights we are denied, but an unwillingness to take the initiative to change those facts.
Q. Do you hear from the opposition in Congress?
Yes, Rep. Frank doesn't care for our tactics, but he thought the National Equality March was a waste of time as well - this from a man who, if he had the desire, could not serve in our military.
Q. What about The White House?
I have never personally heard from the White House.
Q. How big is GetEqual now? Do you feel that you are having a major impact?
GetEQUAL has members all across the US. Our facebook page has as many, if not more, fans than many of our long standing LGBT organizations. We have activist and organizers that we talk to on a regular basis and we are working to create a grassroots network of activist that are wiling to take action in a coordinated fashion.
Q. Have you had serious discussions with the Human Rights Campaign? How do they view your activities?
I have not personally had any "serious" discussion with HRC. I would absolutely love to have a conversation with Joe Solmonese and Rea Carey, at the same time, in the same place - without an audience. I admire many of the hard working individuals that spend countless hours working for HRC and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and we have many state and federal laws to attribute to their hard work. But, we need a different strategy - we need a unified front that is working together and is unwilling to settle for ANYTHING less than getting equal. No more money for politicians, endorsements, speaking opportunities, ANYTHING - until we are made equal.
As for how they view our efforts - I think they wish we were less critical of them, but secretly happy that someone is applying pressure to the political system, so they can push for the change we are all looking for in the end. There are many things that I'd like to say to Joe, in private, but I do not know if that opportunity will ever present itself.
Sadly, I feel our organizations are so connected to a political party/system that they have forgotten or are unwilling to acknowledge that they need to be fighting for our equality as if lives depended on it - because, they do! We are not only talking about insider political games, or even just the civil equality that we are denied - we are also talking about defending our dignity. For the closeted person who self-hates, self-harms or suffers from hate crimes - our less powerful push and the results of our less than full spectrum efforts - should be blamed on all of us.
Q. You're in the Oval Office. You have 2 minutes with the President. What do you say?
Mr. President. I am just a mother. I am not supposed to be an activist. I am not supposed to get arrested. I am only organizing to hold you accountable for the hope you convinced me to believe in. You and I both know you have the power and the ABILITY to show such leadership. If you don't - why did you convince me to HOPE in a reality that you were unwilling to produce in the first place?
Is this the country you want to construct for our children? Every day that passes without the change you promised, everyday that you serve within these walls, is one more day I am unequal.
IF I AM UNEQUAL - YOU ARE UNEQUAL!!!!
If WE are UNEQUAL - OUR children are UNEQUAL!!!
President Obama - I want to go back to being the mom that I so enjoyed being BEFORE November 4. I want to stop being cynical towards our political system. I want to obey the law and work to elect leaders who make good on the promises they convey. Please, do not strip me of the HOPE you convinced me to possess, and show me you have the courage to produce the change you promised!!!!
Then, I'd introduce him to Sebastian and Jackson and ask him if he can look them in the eye knowing and allowing them to live within a family that shares less rights than the daughters who share the White House.
Don't you want to quickly instill the rights that protect all people, including your daughters one day, should they happen to be LGBT?
Upate 1: Donations to support GetEQUAL's work (including bail-out fees!) can be made here. They have a nice selection of t-shirts and casual-wear which also presumably supports the organization, it can be found here