As a Gay Rights supporter, I had an INCREDIBLY disheartening conversation with my mother last night about her views on politics and her opinions regarding who she votes for, when she goes to vote. Apparently, when she votes, she votes for the person she thinks has the best personality and looks. She doesn't care about the issues or the policy. In 2004, she voted for Bush, because Kerry "looked suspect," and, even though she voted for Obama in 2008, she told me that she would have voted for McCain if Hilliary had won the Primary, because she "thinks Hilliary looked like a manipulative bitch." In essence, she votes with her eyes, not her heart and mind.
Even worse, there are MILLIONS of other individuals out there who feel the same way. They are uninterested in politics and uninformed of the potentially catastrophic effects on the lives of millions, due to their nonchalant voting habits.
As a fierce proponent for human rights, especially Gay Rights, this revelation was a slap in the face. Considering that the fight for human rights is an uphill battle in the change averse society we live in already, it's incredibly frustrating to have to not only deal with changing the opinions of the ignorant or bigoted, but also to convince those who just "don't care" that this is a battle worth fighting. Sometimes, I'm forced to wonder how we can possibly achieve our goals with so much standing in our way.
The answer to that question, in my opinion, is one person at a time. As frustrating and disheartening that my conversation with my mother was, it also steeled my resolve and made me more determined than ever to ensure that EVERYBODY is given an equal chance in this great country, and that NOBODY suffers because of who they are.
Amongst my friends and family, I am one of the most politically active individuals. One thing I've noticed, during my conversations with them, is that many they tend to be indifferent to any and all of the issues that don't directly affect them. For example, many of them support the Health Care Reform efforts, and used that motivation to get out and vote for Obama in 2008. Those same individuals stayed home during the 2006 midterm elections where the Wisconsin Constitution was Amended to ban Gay Marriage. It was a heartbreaking step back for Gay Rights, and I literally cried when I knew that it was going to be the result. When I asked my friends if they had voted, and how they felt about such a travesty to equality and human rights, they shrugged, and blew off the result, saying "I'm not gay, so why should I care?"
Since that election, I made it my goal to get through to them, even if it drove me crazy to do so. Every chance I could get, I would talk to them about Gay Rights, about the constant, oppressive bigotry my gay friends experienced daily, about the inherent inequalities in national employment law, and the constant, grating psychological effects of having to put up a facade, hiding who they are, because of the nagging fear that they might suffer if someone knew about their sexuality. I made it a point to forcefully challenge any bigoted view that was expressed around me, be it a friend, family member, or complete stranger. I let it be known that bigotry and hate would NEVER be acceptable, whether it was the open, angry hate or a simmering, subversive soft bigotry.
Slowly, but surely, a few of my friends began to understand. They began to think about how they would feel, if they had to live their lives the same way. They began to empathize with people they've never met before, and they began to care. I've managed to convince several of them to meet some of my gay friends, and to even go to Milwaukee Pride Fest on occasion. Hell, a few of them are just as politically active as I am, when it comes to the fight for equal rights. It was an amazing transformation to watch.
This just proves that you can make a difference in the fight for equal rights, regardless of who you are fighting for. The truly hateful and bigoted might be a lost cause, but the ignorant, misinformed, or "unaffected" are ripe for the picking. If everyone who supported Gay Rights took the time out of their day to really personalize and explain the issues facing the Gay rights movement to those around them and to expose the hateful and bigoted for who they are every chance they got, it would have a profound effect on those who are uninterested in the fight. If everybody could convince just ONE person they knew that this fight was worth fighting for, and that person went on to do the same, we could win this fight, for good. We WILL win this fight, for good.
P.S: Sorry for the rant-like style of this diary. I just had to get this off of my chest. I'm still upset over the conversation with my mom, but writing this made me feel a whole lot better.