Continuing the Fight for FULL Equal Rights in the Streets:

It has been some time since I have been back out in the streets for Queer Visibility and the demand for FULL Rights for our community. On Wednesday, November 4, 2009, I joined the march in Hollywood to verbalize my own feelings about our defeat in Maine and the remember our loss in California a year ago.

This is my video statement. It starts, with what is to me, the messages we need to counter. While these are indeed extreme statements of hate, it is important to remember that the institutionalized homophobia of our American culture results in this kind of perspective towards our kind. If you are thinking that this kind of extreme rhetoric doesn't reflect anything real, tell it to Matthew Shepard's family and all the queer kids that have suffered.

Our only choice is to continue to stand up, stand out and be visible. We must insist on FULL EQUAL RIGHTS in America and the world for our people. The fight for equal rights (for all peoples) has a long history. I've been fighting for a very long time (since the 70's and hence my choice of music ;) -- we must continue to fight until we revolutionize this world so the rights of all are respected.

http://www.youtube.com/user/UnitetheFight

My latest creative endeavor....

They can be found at
Gay Couple won't let Proposition 8 steal their dream
Proposition 8 moves Christian couple to action
Draw your own conclusions...

Here is some actual coverage of the vigils in Hollywood and Studio City on Fox 11 News - pretty good coverage!

If you have the time and inclination, take a moment to read my previous Blog Post here with my comments, pictures and videos about events I've already participated in. I plan to keep sharing my thoughts and experiences - so thanks for your time!

On today's DAY WITHOUT GAYS, I thought it would be appropriate to engage in some QUEER letter writing. I wrote a letter to President-elect Obama and to the New York Times.

I encourage all my fellow activists to write letters as well!

I have posted both letters below:

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Letter sent to President-elect Obama:

Obama for America
P.O. Box 8102
Chicago, IL 60680..:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Dear President-elect Barack Obama,

I am writing to you during this pivotal moment in history to express to you how essential it is, to ME, that you address the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender community in your inauguration speech.

I have been so excited by your campaign and election and what it represents for this country in so many ways - for the first time in many, many years I have hope and believe that we will see change. I know that there are numerous important issues on the table for you to address, and I understand the gravity of your task! You, and your team, will be in my heart and thoughts throughout your term, because for once, there is a politician I can and want to believe in.

My request is that you acknowledge me and my community in your speech when you focus on equality and rights for all. For so long, my people have been left in the closet, left in the dark and not mentioned because we are a "controversial, possibly divisive issue." I know that you not only see, but support my GLBT community - I ask that you put this in words for all to see and hear. Not only will you bring light to my life, but more importantly, you will bring light and hope to that young person who is in fear and shame about who they are. As a person who has faced discrimination yourself, I know you will understand the shame and self hatred that results from not being acknowledged and addressed.

I ask this very personally and very much for all the young boys who I would wish to spare some of that shame and self hatred I so vividly experienced and spent so much of my life struggling to overcome. You can really make a difference to those young people. I am not asking that you make my concerns and issues your top priority - only that you include them in the issues you publicly address.

Thank you for hearing my heartfelt desire. Please know that you have my support and best wishes.

Most sincerely,

John Waiblinger

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Body of the letter sent to the NY Times via the HRC Website at:
HRC website to send letter

I am writing to state my very grave concerns with misleading statements about "mob violence and intimidation" attributed to myself and my community recently run as a "No Mob Veto" advertisement in the New York Times.

Yes, I am angry that Prop 8 denied me and my people the right to a state recognized, CIVIL marriage with all the civil legal rights that entails. Yes, I am angry that certain sectors of the religious community portrayed this as a moral issue and took the position that I should be denied state recognition of my desire to love whom I choose and that I am not an equal citizen in the eyes of the law. But I do not consider the peaceful rallies I participated in, nor my desire to clearly state my position in any way a mob action or an attempt to intimidate anyone. I believe this ad is an attempt to once again misrepresent gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered individuals and portray us as inherently evil and as a threat to society. This is far from the truth.

I personally HAVE experienced mob violence. I have been jumped and "fag-bashed" to the extent of needing to be taken to the emergency room for simply being a gay man. That is violence. Rhetoric that demeans GLBT people, portrays us as evil and threatening and portrays us as divinely condemned justifies this type of behavior.

Your ad states that "religious wars are wrong." I fully agree and ask that you stop waging war against me and my people. I am not attempting to lessen the "sanctity" of anyone's beliefs or institutions. I am demanding the same civil and legal rights for myself that heterosexuals are afforded in this country.

I fully respect everyone's house of worship and their right to believe what they chose to believe, but I also believe in the principal of separation of church and state that this country was founded upon. I also recognize that not everyone in the religious community has taken the same stance as portrayed in this advertisement - many in the religious community have come out to support us and participated in the protests that have occurred throughout the country of the last month. Religious wars are created when one group wishes to impose its world view and beliefs on everyone. All my community is demanding is the right to live as we believe and choose - we are not imposing our choices on anyone, just demanding the same legal rights enjoyed by all citizens of this country.

It is my hope that we can all engage in dialogue with one another and dispel stereotypes and myths, on both sides. The rhetoric of hate does not benefit anyone. I want to state clearly that I do not participate in "mob" violence or intimidation and that I do not believe that characterizing recent activities by the GLBT community in this manner does anything but encourage extremists on both sides and prevents the ability to engage in the kind of dialogue that would be helpful.

Thank you for hearing my opinion, concerns and reaction.

On Saturday, December 6th, I attended the The Equal Roots organized All-Hands LGBT Movement Summit  at 7377 Santa Monica Blvd. The conference was billed as "a chance for all the grassroots organizations,and individuals that want to be involved to come together, listen to speakers, attend breakout sessions to share ideas and resources to propel the movement forward with clear direction, and to network with one another in an effort to mobilize and unify the LGBT & Allies community.

   


I want to share my thoughts and experiences and how I plan to follow through after this very exciting and useful organizing meeting.   I very much liked the format of kicking things into gear with a program of interesting speakers that kind of framed the issues we were going to tackle.  I was very inspired by their remarks.

I was particularly moved by Matt Palazzolo, the young gay activist who was the moving force in bringing this conference together - congratulations, Matt, on your  work and an amazingly productive afternoon. To me, as someone who has been out for almost 40 years now, and has both been active in, and dropped out,  of the movement, Matt represents the new face and the new energy of today's movement that so excites me. Matt's introduction was both very personal AND political and all about being VISIBLE as who we are and insistent on our LGBT rights - NOT for assimilation, but for the right to our difference.  Very beautifully and eloquently put and very right on! I refer everyone to Matt's own post that provides his speech and summarizes his perspectives on the conference - it is excellent:
Matt's Post - well worth reading!

Matt was then followed by Robin Tyler,one of the original plaintiffs in the lawsuit that led to all of this, and a long time activist in our movement. Robin provided a concise history of our movement from pre-Stonewall through the present and a sometimes biting (but always brilliantly funny) analysis of some of our mistakes, as well as accomplishments and a good overview of some of the contradictions between grass roots radicalism and the movement establishment. I thought it was a marvelously framed and inspiring talk focused on the need for us to be VISIBLE and UNAPPOLOGETIC and UNABASHED about who we are.  Robin very much encouraged the young, grassroots movement to make itself heard and fight for a new direction. I very much agree with, and liked her summarization, that it is not about "passing the torch" but rather about "lighting your torches and joining those that came before." Let's build upon our foundation and move forward and in some new and exciting directions.

Robin was followed by Richard Zalvidar, President & Founder of The Wall Las Memorias Project and Marshall Wong of API Equality LA who presented their perspectives on organizing in minority communities and building new alliances and coalitions. Each of these speakers provided an excellent analysis of how the No on 8 campaign did not adequately and effectively reach out to build such alliances. Again, it was from a perspective of what have we learned and how can we move forward.

We then broke out into focus groups to brainstorm and connect. I found this activity incredibly stimulating and useful. I joined the "Outreach" group, facilitated by Richard Zalvidar which focused on how to move forward with building alliances. In this group, I connected with another activist, and we got together on Sunday morning to attend and participate with a group meeting in Inglewood. While I was not able to stay for the wrap-up,  the  conference provided me yet another opportunity to move forward in my own continued engagement and involvement and I appreciate that! I believe that forging these kind of connections, energy and commitment  is what it's all about.

So here is what I took out of this event personally and how I'm staying engaged:

Last night I joined about 30 other fellow activists in a candlelight vigil at the premier of the film Milk at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills. We stood respectfully across the street from the red carpet event, quietly holding lit candles and signs to highlight the ongoing struggle by GLBT people for equal rights that Harvey Milk so bravely fought for. It was a remarkably positive experience, and while small in number, I think we made a great statement and got some good press coverage - the Associated Press showed us in its clip of the event.





What was especially wonderful to me was the fact that Stuart Milk, Harvey's nephew walked across the street to personally thank us for being there and stated that Harvey would have very much approved. We also got a high-five from Sean Penn from across the street on the red carpet.

It was a very moving evening for me, because I still remember Black Monday, 11/27 1978 (the day San Francisco mayor Mascone and supervisor Milk were assassinated in City Hall) and the grief and anger it caused me and my community. What was profound for me was to see this vigil organized by a group of young queers who have all been motivated by Prop 8. For me it was a wonderful threading together of my own past activism with the present. It's both amazing to see how far we have come and sad to know how much hate is still out there. However, I am greatly encouraged to see a new wave of activism that I know will propel our cause. I can't wait to see the movie, and am very looking forward to Saturday's IMPACT event at our own City Hall!

For anyone wanting more info on Harvey Milk and what we faced as a people in the 70's, I recommend the excellent Wikipedia article at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey Milk

I've posted some photos I took as well as 2 pictures posted by the Associated Press below.