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Sunday, Nov 22, 2009
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Equality Ride clarifies LGBT priorities
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| Equality Ride clarifies LGBT priorities | ||
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by Lauren Parke -
Special to the SGN I recently spent two months on the road with 15 other young adults, visiting colleges and universities that have discriminatory policies against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender students. After 7,015 miles, the Equality Ride came to an end. I've returned to the safety and comfort of life in Seattle, where my shaved head is typically admired rather than scorned, where acronyms don't have to be explained, where coffee is delicious, and where Queers are commonplace. It's good to be back in familiar territory, but in many respects, nothing is the same. Though I will never fully know the effects of my efforts as a participant on the Ride, I can say with certainty that, at least for me, it was a thoroughly transformative experience. And although I'm no longer surviving off of Clif Bars (in the Deep South, "vegetarian" typically just means two helpings of fried okra with your brisket and ribs), this journey continues. Shortly after returning home, I spoke with an administrator from one of the schools we visited. As we talked about our respective experiences and discussed what the next steps should be, he expressed some aggravation: "Y'all came and shared your piece, and then you left. Now we have to deal with all the aftermath." I empathized with his frustration. Yes, in some ways what we do is unfair. We visit these places, stir things up, and then leave. Those who remain are left to deal with whatever messiness our presence may have unearthed. But truthfully, that messiness was already there; all we did was reveal it. My departure from Dallas Baptist University is not a departure from oppression. I'm still Gay, after all, and the last time I checked, that's only okay if your name is Ellen or Will. Same-gendered couples are still denied the right to marry in 48 of our 50 states. Openly Gay citizens still can't serve in our Armed Forces. Families are still rejecting their Queer children. Federal hate crimes legislation still doesn't protect LGBT people. My Trans friends are still being alienated. Harassment, discrimination, violence, hatred and fear are still very much a part of our reality. Here in Seattle, I work with homeless youth. As I often pointed out to students not yet convinced of the detrimental effects of anti-Gay Christian rhetoric, one-third of homeless youth are LGBT. Regardless of whatever progress I've helped initiate as a participant on the 2008 Equality Ride, there are still thousands of Queer young people seeking refuge on the streets because they can't find it in their homes, schools or churches. These young castoffs are the clearest indicator to me that this fight is not over. No matter how many petitions are signed, no matter how many marches are marched, no matter how many letters are written, no matter how much money is raised, so long as Queer youth continue to be rejected, our work is not complete. It frustrates me that marriage equality has become our battle cry. I understand the significance of the issue - the 1400+ rights, privileges and protections that are being denied to same-gender couples, the inherent injustice that comes with the notion that separate is somehow equal as is implied with civil unions, the tremendous societal shift that could result from legal recognition of our love - but guess what: a homeless Gay teenager forced into prostitution in order to eat for another day doesn't care that you and your partner can't both put your names on the mortgage. The closeted theology student at Southwestern Assemblies of God University who risks expulsion if they even engage in the appearance of "homosexual activity" doesn't have time to think about whether you honeymoon in Cancun or Hawaii. And consider this: the Transgender woman who's scared to see a doctor for fear of mistreatment or harassment isn't all that concerned with whether or not you can visit your partner in the hospital. This movement has to be about more. Arkansas needs us just as bad as California does. Queer people of color have just as much invested in this battle as white people. The homeless Lesbian living on the streets deserves just as much attention as a member of HRC's Federal Club. If we truly desire liberation, we must work for an end to all forms of oppression. Our strength lies in our diversity, and in this fight for freedom we will fail if we are fragmented. |
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