CAMPAIGN FOR EQUALITY Winning on the Merits. GAY CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT 1950 – Harry Hay Mattachine Society, LA -Identity in development: different or.

CAMPAIGN FOR EQUALITYWinning on the Merits

GAY CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT

1950 – Harry Hay Mattachine Society, LA- Identity in development: different or same? - Reaching out to others- Magazines – Cir. 5000 (53)1955 – Daughters of Bilitis1960 – ILLNESS OR NOT? (65 no)1963 – EAST COAST HOMOPHILE ORG. (coalition)1963 –March on Washington; 1964 CIVIL RIGHTS ACT1964 – First Direct Actions for Gay Civil Rights

ARMY INVADES SEXUAL PRIVACY

KEEP DRAFT RECORDS PRIVATE

RANDY WICKER

CRAIG RODWELL

NANCYGARDNER

RENEE CAFIERO

LOVE AND LET LOVE

JACKDIETHERAMERICANS

DIEDFOR USTOO

“IT’S ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT CIVIL RIGHTS” Frank Kameny, 2010

1966 – NACHO (15) 1st Nat. Coalition“Black is Beautiful” “Gay Is Good” (‘68)

Friday, June 28, 1969: Stonewall Riots 1969 – GAY LIBERATION FRONT 1974 – NGLTF 1st Formal Structure 1974 -- Gay Civil Rights Bill FILED

(women, marital status, SO)

1987 & 1993 March on Washington 1993 for “Civil Rights NOW”

GETTING BACK TO CIVIL RIGHTS

1993 – DADT codified1994 – CIVIL RIGHTS BILL DROPPED

ENDA introduced. 1996 – DOMA passed 2009 National Equality March for “Full Federal Equality”

(oct 8) 2009 – Hate Crimes (oct 22); 2010 – DADT repealed (77% favor); UAFA included in CIR★ 2010 Grand Central Die-In Demand:

CIVIL RIGHTS NOW. CIVIL RIGHTS NOW.CIVIL RIGHTS NOW.

NYC Grand Central Terminal

FULL EQUALITY: ALMOST THEREFEDERAL AGENDA – 111th CONGRESS

DISCRIMINATION BILLS FILED1. EMPLOYMENT - ENDA 1994. (FRANK/COBURN) (CRA, T 7)2. HOUSING (NADLER, no GL Reps?) (CRA, T 8)3. STUDENTS/HARRASSMENT (SNDA) (POLIS) (CRA, T 6)4. HEALTH CARE PROGRAMS (BALDWIN) ( (CRA, T 6 PLUS)

5. FOSTER CARE/ADOPTION (CRA, T 6)6. HARASSMENT/BULLYING (SANCHEZ) (Safe Schools Act)7. CONSUMER CREDIT (ISREAL, D-NY2, Frank, Baldwin, Polis)

MISSING-ALL FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAMS $$$ (CRA, T 6)-PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS (CRA, T 2)-PUBLIC FACILITIES (CRA, T 3)-TRANS issues in American with Disability Act

FEDERAL AGENDA – 111TH

FAMILY RECOGNITION8. DOMA repeal (Nadler)9. IMMIGRATION (Nadler/Leahy)10. FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE – DP BENEFITS11. FEDERAL EMPLOYEE PENSION/ANNUITIES – DP BENEFITS12. HEALTH CARE BENEFITS - TAX FIX13. SEX ED; 14. HIV TREATMENT FUNDING

MISSINGENDING STATE-MARRIAGE DISCRIMINATION (44)2 PARENT ADOPTION

A NEW STRATEGY FOR EQUALITY

• 60 YEARS OF STRUGGLE: OUR TIME IS HERE• FILE ONE BILL FOR “EQUAL CIVIL RIGHTS”• DEBATE ON OUR OWN TERMS• CIVIL RIGHTS IS A POPULAR IDEA• SEXUALITY & GENDER ARE FUNDAMENTAL• CALLS THE QUESTION ON EQUALITY• ENGAGE EVERYONE IN THE CAMPAIGN

PRESIDENT OBAMA IS POINTING THE WAY

TIMES HAVE CHANGED SINCE 1994

• 89 % SUPPORT EMPLOYMENT NON-DISCRIMINATION• 52 % SUPPORT RELATIONSHIP RECOGNITION• LGBT ARE CULTURALLY IMMERSED & POWERFUL• WE HAVE BUSINESS AND REPUBLICAN SUPPORT• CIVIL RIGHTS ARE THE AMERICAN STANDARD• OUR SENSE OF JUSTICE HAS EVOLVED• FACEBOOK -- GRASSROOTS IS ON THE MOVE

SEIZE THE MOMENTUM. ACCELERATE THE PACE.

STRATEGIC DEBATES:TIME FOR “BOTH/AND”

OPEN CONVERSATION ABOUT STRATEGY• LEGISLATIVE STRATEGY v. MOVEMENT STRATEGY• PRAGMATISM v. PRINCIPLES (PRIORITIES?)

– PEACEMEAL, NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE• FEDERAL v. STATE STRATEGIES (both/and)• ELECTING ‘FRIENDS’ v. DEMANDING MORE• TWO PARTY MOVEMENT v. ONE PARTY• MANAGING THE STORY v. INCITING THE CROWD

ULTIMATELY A SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT

A Victim’s Missing Entitlement

DEMAND EQUALITY, GET DIGNITYobstacles & internal resistance

• LIMITED AGENDA: NARROWED EXPECTATIONS– 16 YEARS ENDA, DADT, MARRIAGE

-- WEBSITES TALK ABOUT ISSUES– NOT GOALS, NOT CIVIL RIGHTS, NOT EQUALITY

• SEPARATE FIEFDOMS; NEED FORMAL RELATIONS• WHO SETS OUR AGENDA? ROLE OF PEOPLE?• TRANSPARENT, INCLUSIVE, DEMOCRATIC• FEAR OF ALIENATING ALLIES• GOALS, RISK, AND ORGANIZ. ACCOUNTABILITY• CONFRONT ISSUE OF SEXUAL & GENDER FREEDOM

COMBINING POWER

• 15 NATIONAL GROUPS; 80 MILLION DOLLARS- HRC- $37 mil; 700,000 FB. NGLTF – $8.6 mil- LAMBDA - $15.6 mil. NCLR $3.7 mil

• LACKING IN POLITICAL POWER (Perry)• VOTE SPLIT (30% Republican) (24 million

LGBT adults)• 1000s of ORGANIZATIONS NO NATIONAL COALITION (1st in 1966)NO UNITED CAMPAIGN

STATE OF THE ART CAMPAIGNS

• HEALTH CARE FOR AMERICA1.2 million calls in one day

• REFORM IMMIGRATION FOR AMERICA (RIFA)• 1000 organizations networked• Full campaign team• Direct actions (Marches), Civil Disobedience (107 NYC)

• CHANGE.org; MOVEON.org• LEADERHIP CONFERENCE on CIVIL RIGHTS –

all pulling one way

EVERYONE’S PRIORITY

NOW IS THE TIME

THE AMERICAN EQUALITY BILL (AEB) PROJECT

• BRAND AN IDEA: FULL EQUALITY = DIGNITY• EXPOSE THE PROBLEM: HOMOPHOBIA & TRANSPHOBIA• PUT DISCRIMINATION IN A HUMAN RIGHTS CONTEXT• IDENTIFY THE END GAME: EQUAL CIVIL RIGHTS• EMPOWER THE GRASSROOTS:

– TAKE ACTION, DEMAND RESULTS

-- QUEER SOS; FAST, GRAND CENTRAL DIE-IN; WALK

THINK ABOUT HOW IT SHOULD BE: “Clear our heads of the garbage that’s been poured into them” -- Carl Wittman. The Gay Manifesto, ‘69

STOP MAKING EXCUSES & START MAKING CHANGE

AN EQUALITY STRATEGYWe Already Have The Capacity

• TO FILE A COMPREHENSIVE BILL THAT SAYS: DIGNITY• TO PRESSURE OUR ALLIES TO SAY YES -- NAACP, NOW, ACLU,

LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE & ELECTEDS• TO BUILD A STATE OF THE ART CAMPAIGN• TO RECRUIT REPUBLICAN & DEMOCRATIC TEAMS• TO LAUNCH PUBLIC RELATIONS CAMPAIGNS

– GET OPRAH; MADDOW; GAGA; GIVE A DAMN TALKING• TO DEMAND TELEVISED PUBLIC HEARINGS IN THE SENATE• TO INSPIRE MASS DIRECT ACTION• TO MAKE OUR EQUALITY A MAJOR ISSUE IN 2012

WE ARE RIGHT - LET’S CALL THE QUESTION ON THE MERITS

“EQUAL CIVIL RIGHTS”

• EXCITING MESSAGING• EVERYONE GETS CIVIL RIGHTS & EQUALITY• SHOW THE HARM - DUTY TO END IT• DISCRIMINATION IS UNAMERICAN• TO YOUTH: STAND UP, BE PROUD• TO OURSELVES: WE ARE EQUAL• TO EVERYONE: THIS IS NOT NEGOTIABLE

ELEANORE, HARRY HAY, MLK & TUTU

OUR EQUALITY WAS THEIR DREAM

A SEEMLESS ROPE

A MATTER OF JUSTICE

A MATTER OF LOVE

OUR SEEMLESS ROPE

• TIME TO ORGANIZE OUR MOVEMENT• FIND UNITY OF PURPOSE & COMMON CAUSE• FIND OUR SHARED VOICE & MESSAGE• BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF THE RIGHTNESS OF

OUR CAUSE• LET THE WORLD HEAR OUR CRY FOR JUSTICE• SECURE OUR RIGHT TO BE WHO WE ARE

IT’S TIME TO CLAIM OUR HONOR

www.eQUALITYgiving.orgwww.ActOnPrinciples.org