Blame Complacency

“Who you are speaks so loudly I can’t hear what you’re saying.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson eloquently rewords the common phrase “Action speaks louder than words.”  Proposition 8 is upheld by California’s Supreme Court.  Marriage equality is only practiced in 5 of the 50 states. “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is a policy still enforced under a President who advocated against it as a candidate. There are many more issues to address.

Words mention one thing but action is led quite differently.

Instead of placing blame on failed campaigns (in California and Florida’s Amendment 2) and President Obama. I feel that the LGBTQ community will be better off if we do our part to turn anger into action. It’s time to end our complacency because our President will not make our cause for equality a priority of his administration without a unified voice calling for change.  I believe we are a movement without a substantial direction. Therefore, our movement for equal rights should be more like a massive revolution.

So why am I not placing blame on President Obama? I’ll cite an exchange between Dr. Martin Luther King and President Lyndon B. Johnson…

Martin Luther King: “We need this Voting Rights Act. You know, we need your help.”
President Johnson:  “I wanna do it. Make me do it.”

My fellow progressive Americans, we need to make President Obama move Equal Rights to one of his top priorities. How do we do this? The most productive way to engage him -and other politicians- is through activism.

Don’t depend on the Human Rights Campaign to be the only voice for LGBTQ rights. With all due respect, HRC is nothing but a lobbying organization (a great one but its still a lobby). President Obama knows about change so this moment is an opportunity for the LGBTQ community (and the essential Allies) to gather up millions and vocalize for it. Its time to mobilize and start a revolution for the sake of humanity.

If, God forbid, President Obama and Washington, D.C. still ignores us… Well, lets stay optimistic. There is progress being made for equality but complacency will do nothing on our behalf. That’s one of the many lessons I learned after watching Milk.

So I challenge you -as well as challenge myself- to make an action plan. Every tiny bit will count. Remember, one million ripples -preferably in unison- will eventually cause an enormous wave.

–V.Jay