The Flint Hills Observer
February 1997
Community Should Be Politically Active
by Michael T
Political Activity--two words that divide the bi/les/gay community. To many, the idea of political activism is a thought farthest from their minds. Sure, we may be involved in same-sex relationships, but why do we need to rally and protest? It doesn't help anyone and who wants to be political anyway? You end up causing more harm than good for yourself and others.
For many, these misconceptions are a way of life. Some would rather lead their lives quietly and peacefully, avoiding publicly acknowledging who they are. What is largely ignored is that being a lesbian, gay man, or bisexual person is political in and of itself. To pursue a same-sex relationship goes against state laws and many institutional codes of ethics. Just living is a political statement, so why try to pretend you are something you are not?
It is not an easy task to be out, especially to our families and employers. We run the risk of being ostracized, turned away, and possibly even being the victim of a violent hate crime. On another note, why flaunt our sexuality and risk alienating our supporters or those who aren't sure where they stand? Why do we have to make a flagrant spectacle of ourselves to gain equality and protection? Why not just let things gradually change? Well, I am sure these words fell upon deaf ears the day Rosa Parks was tired and sat in the "wrong" seat on the bus. I am sure Martin Luther King Jr., weighed these thoughts as he watched his African-American brothers and sister being beaten, killed, and their homes and churches torched. Maybe the drag queens, lesbians, and gay men should have endured the raids of their local bar in New York and allowed themselves to be hauled off repeatedly due to homophobia. Maybe the bi/les/gay community should have just waited a while when Gay Related Immune Deficiency (GRID) swept through the community. The students of Tiananmen Square probably wondered, too, if their efforts were for naught fate as tanks rolled in and the soldiers approached. Why not just sit by in the safety of our homes, complacent in our closets, bowing to the status quo, and allowing the Christian Coalition and other fundamentalist organizations to dictate political policy? You certainly don't have to do anything, because someone else surely will.
A little too tough for you? Well, folks, life is tough, and we certainly did not get anything without some sacrifice. Today is the day to get up and speak for yourself because the longer you wait, the longer you will be locked in a closet you and your sisters and brothers have helped forged. Remember Pastor Neimoller's quote, "... one day they came for me and there was no one to speak up." For those who have already come out and decided not to help make things better, realize the seriousness of your actions. The longer we remain silent, the longer we reinforce the notion that there is something to be ashamed of and "sinful" with our lives. The longer we allow homophobic politicians to pass biased laws denying us equal protection under the law, the military to forbid us to acknowledge our lives, and the American Red Cross to label AIDS as a gay disease, we will perpetuate the hate and condemn the community.
Well, if you have already decided that there is nothing you can do personally to help the situation, rest assured, there are plenty of those who believe they can take back all we have gained. And they won't hesitate soliciting politicians, picketing, lobbying, and holding protests to not only keep us in the closet, but prevent us from ever having any rights as human beings. But don't worry, you don't need to take any risks. Just keep going to the bars and social and pretend the world outside doesn't exist. It might just all go away on its own.
Maybe you can live with all of this, but I can't.
