Gay Activism Steps It Up

Not to Long ago in a previous post I mused that the future of the struggle for gay rights will have to move beyond the tactic of politely asking the powers that be for our due civil rights and on to more assertive forms of civil protest. Now, with Dan Choi's arrest, the topic is all over the net.

Well...I hate to give big fat "I told you so's"....o.k....no I don't....I told you so!....

Yesterday Lt. Dan Choi and Capt. Jim Pietrangelo, in protest over DADT, chained themselves to the WhiteHouse fence. On the surface Dan Choi and Pietrangelo's actions in chaining himself to the Whitehouse fence seem an ill timed gesture. The Army had just let him back on active duty and suspended his discharge. Are the lawmakers that pushed to get him reinstated feeling a bit upset by his actions? In addition, Congressional hearing are taking place discussing the need for a DADT repeal and public opinion, by and large, is with a repeal. Making lawmakers upset at this stage in the game may erode what little support there is in congress. Not that he should cease advocating for what he believes in but chaining yourself to the Whitehouse fence is bound to make you more enemies than friends...not the least because it can be interpereted as showboating in an effort for Lt. Choi to get his name back in the news.

But dialing our view back from the specific event of Dan Choi's arrest alot more took place on that day.

Standing Up For What you Believe In.

More often than I care to these days , while  musing about the status of the struggle for gay rights I ask myself..."Whats Next if it all goes south?" What happens when ballot initiatives ban our ability to marry the ones we love in all but a couple of states? What happens if the Federal Supreme Court rules that upholding those bans is constitutional? What happens if we never see an employment protection act or a "Don't Ask Don't Tell" repeal? What do we do if it all goes to hell in a handbasket and LGBT citizens become official second class citizens with our status as such codified by law?

If you listen to the rumblings of teabaggers (who's name always makes me snicker) then you would be lead to believe that the people of America are headed for eminent revolution. But how real is their saber rattling?...Who knows...but  That brings us the essence of this thread. How far is too far to be pushed? And what will we do if we get to that point? Is it when we are forced to come to the realization that lawmakers are never going to fight for us out of their own good will ...or that theoretical day when police are again regularly raiding gay bars, Handcuffing  us to telephone polls, and printing our pictures in the paper to shame us?

Well...GLBT students at John Carrol University, in Cleveland found their line in the sand. Angered over the schools intentional decision to omit LGBT people from its anti-discrimination policies they decided it was their time to take action: