The video I'm going to share is just awesome. In Queerty's coverage of this story, they had this to say:
The wonderful thing about the Internet is that it can connect one person doing something courageous in obscurity with millions of other people around the world.
I completely, 100% agree. We spend a lot of time--rightfully so, I might add, although others disagree--talking about homophobes and anti-gay bigots. We also talk about high-profile activists. We do not often talk about these small, yet very profound, acts of courage that LGBT people across the country perform all the time. Going to a public meeting of county supervisors and confronting them about their anti-gay politics may not seem that important at first glance, but it's an act of bravery that helps chip away at bigotry. And the beauty of the Internet, of course, is that sometimes we're able to see examples of these courageous acts...acts that would otherwise be lost to all who did not witness it firsthand. Such as the one you're about to watch.
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Jeff Girard, a California activist who also happens to be gay and who goes by the YouTube handle Jeff4Justice, was none too pleased about the anti-gay political activities of a couple of his county supervisors in Sutter County (Yes on 8 territory). These activities included not only actively supporting Prop 8, but also pressuring a county clerk not to issue marriage licenses during that brief period when the California Supreme Court legalized marriage equality. One supervisor also fought against SB48, the LGBT history education bill that included LGBT people's contributions in social science education, and participated in attempting to get the bill repealed after it finally passed. So Girard decided to go to a public meeting and give them a piece of his mind.
I have to give him serious credit. What he did took guts. It would not be easy for most of us to stand up, in a public meeting environment, and confront viciously anti-gay politicians in such an eloquent way. But Girard did it. There are many especially powerful comments he made. I don't have a full transcript, but here are some of the highlights.
Your biographies identify your sexuality by the fact that they identify your marriages and your family. So if you don't think that gay couples should be acknowledged for their contribution to history because what relevance is it of one's sexuality, then why do your biographies reference your sexuality?
If you guys needed Prop 8 to be secure in your marriage, I feel very sorry for you, because how is your marriage protected or preserved by denying rights for gay and lesbian folks? Newt Gingrich was still able to go and get another marriage.
I hope that you guys will come talk to your gay and lesbian neighbors. We are not a threat to you guys--we are your brothers, your sisters, your neighbors. And what would you do if your children end up being gay? Are you going to tell them, well, sorry, I don't support your marriage.
If you're like to talk to [gay and lesbian constituents], my e-mail address is jeff4justice at yahoo dot com. You can contact me and I'll be happy to coordinate y'all meeting face to face with the people whose lives you voted on. We didn't get to vote on your guys's lives.
Girard was quite effective in calling these supervisors on their bullshit. The video is just incredible. Watch:
Good for Girard. He's an inspiration.
Do check out his YouTube channel. His other videos are worth watching as well.