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Saturday, Nov 21, 2009
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When all else fails, try a boycott
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| When all else fails, try a boycott | ||
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by Mark Segal -
Courtesy of the Philadelphia Gay News There is a mounting anger in the LGBT community over the outcome of Proposition 8 in California. Perhaps part of that anger is that the same people who voted to outlaw marriage equality also voted for more humane rights for chickens in a separate California proposition. Let's put this in perspective. Of the other three states involved in LGBT ballot initiatives - Arkansas, Florida and Arizona - none were surprises. But many believed California was different. But is it? Answer that question and we'll have the knowledge to be victorious when the next Prop 8 appears. The answer is obvious. Many want to blame the Mormon Church, over-65 voters or the African-American and Latino communities, others place the blame on the No on Prop 8 committee for a poorly planned campaign. Let's take a look at a (slightly skewed) analysis of the vote from ABC News. "Whites voted very narrowly against the ban, 51-49 percent. Asian-Americans voted the same. Hispanics voted for it, by 53-47 percent. Blacks voted for it, overwhelmingly, 70-30. Blacks can be said to have put it over the top. Hypothetically, had no blacks voted, we compute a vote of 50-50," according to an analysis by ABC News polling director Gary Langer. While all groups played a part, they have two factors in common: outreach and education. California is no different than almost anywhere else in the nation. The Gay-rights struggle is based on educating the larger whole of society about who we really are and making it clear that churches that did not agree with same-sex marriage would not be required to perform them. The poll numbers above are true in not only California, but also nationwide. They indicate the truth; that we have not spent the time or resources on reaching the non-Gay, heavily church-influenced African-American community. This is a group that understands discrimination. We have a mutual pride in the election of Barack Obama as president, giving us common ground to build on. The Latino population, one-third of California voters, also needs to be educated. Our community is energized now like no other time in this struggle since 1977, when Anita Bryant started a campaign to overturn a Gay-rights ordinance in Dade County, Fla. As Bryant was the spokesperson for the Florida Citrus Commission, Gay-rights activists led a national boycott against Florida orange juice. On Sunday, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger offered his support to the lawsuits questioning the legality of Prop 8. If other politicians and civil-rights leaders do the same and offer friend-of-the-court briefs, we could be victorious in the court. Regardless, the next step is a real campaign and major effort to reach the people that are educable on the issue. The mass demonstrations that have gone on for a week now are going to our movement's roots and show the community's anger. If not, there is the big gun: the boycott. Travel spending in California in 2007 was $96.7 billion, with 31.9 million traveling on U.S. carriers. Tourism and travel that year raised $2.2 billion in local taxes and $3.6 billion in state taxes. While a last resort, a call for a boycott on individual travel and corporate conventions would be devastating to California. In 1977, the very young LGBT community was able to lower orange-juice consumption by an estimated 20 percent. Imagine what could be done today. This fight is in California, and Californians must decide how to proceed. State leadership is needed now, as well as an established direction and strategy. The LGBT community nationwide is willing to support California's marriage effort, but we need to know there is a united effort within the state. With outreach, marriage equality in California is a very real possibility within two years, if not sooner by court order. Mark Segal is PGN publisher. He can be reached at mark@epgn.com. |
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