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So Maine didn't get marriage, yeah sucks to be Maine. As for me, I don't give a flying f*ck.
I understand that marriage is an important issue because of all the legal and civil benefits attached to it. Though my personal feelings are wholly disinterested, even disgusted, by the "LGBT" movement's preoccupation with marriage, I am not outside recognizing the benefits of legalizing queer marriage. What I want to know is, if this "marriage issue" is so important why are people more interested in fixing it for others but not themselves? Ohio has TWO DOMA amendments, TWO, because one wasn't enough. But no, yeah, you take care of Maine. They need more help than we do.
I agree that these rallies on behalf of California and Maine could be part of a bigger movement to promote visibility. But I don't know how folks in Ohio are going to prove anything by stating they won't stand for marriage inequality in Maine when they must not mind marriage inequality in Ohio. I think the main reason is this: Everyone else is doing it. People love to be part of something bigger, so why not get on board to support other states and have no idea what is going on in your own. Its not like you live there or anything. It's easier to complain about what's going on in someone else's yard than to take a long hard look at what your own place. Every day I see listserv and blog posts by people who live in Ohio or the Midwest but all they talk about is the east or west coast and what we can do to "help them." Forget that, they're blue states with high-income non-profits and god-damn celebrities. They can help themselves. Better yet, they can help me. I have a vet bill to pay and radical activism doesn't cut me any checks.
I've had people tell me that we need to focus on the easy parts first, keep in line so we don't scare folks off. Well, I'm not gonna get any less scary after you pass your legislation that doesn't have me in it and Ohio isn't gonna get any easier once your state is in it. I try not hate on folks who are good hearted and want to work for change, even if its not how I would do it. However, I can't help being opinionated about people who tell me I'm not a "team player" and they themselves do absolutely nothing.
NEWS FLASH: Posting a facebook event is not the end all be all of change. Shocking, I know.
Don't judge me and my work when all you have is a motherf*cking facebook account. If you want to complain, that is not my problem. Go update your status about it. Your HRC fan page friends will love it.
x-posted midwestgenderqueer.com
Now that being said I disagree with the whole situation all together, the best way any of us are going to get anything done is working Nationally. Federal Laws affect us all and we can all work on them. Yes its nice to see little bits of progress with our states, sure, but really I think its ridiculous to see those wins as major progress, it just shows us how much we are seperating ourselves.
We do all need to work together, not just on seperate state issues but on Federal level rights and laws. We also need to remember to celebrate the sucesses of the movements and let those empower us further. Think of the things we have gained in the past month. A federal law making LGBT people a bit more equal to others by the enactment of the Hate Crime Law. Many Openly LGBTQ people were elected into office across America, again progress.
Why does it take negative events for us to rally, why can't we rally around the simple fact that we are still not equal? Thats what I don't understand.