Putting Activism to Use
There are so many times that, as a minority, we work against ourselves. Many times, it’s not that we don’t realize it. It’s that we just don’t care. For example, if we want to go on vacation, and we want to go to a vacation spot that just happens to be located in a state that is very repressive to our community, many of us will say, “What the hell... it’s just this one time.”, and you will go anyway.
It’s important for all of us to realize that when we do this, we actually are hurting ourselves. We are supporting discrimination. It’s like being beaten up by a gay basher, then turning around and paying him for doing that to you. That’s an extreme case, but it is valid. It’s valid because if you contribute money to something (a state or organization) that works against our community, you are donating money to their cause. And money, my friends = POWER.
So this morning, I’m going through my morning email. I spot an invitation to a technical conference on programming. It sounds interesting to me and is one that I may have considered going to. I had been to their conferences before and thought they were very well done. The only problem is, the conference takes place in Kansas City, Missouri. Missouri is one of the states that approved a state constitutional ban on gay marriage in the 2004 elections. So right then and there, that conference was killed for me.
But I didn’t just dismiss it and let it to. I sent the following reply to the organizers of the conference because it’s important for them to know why people don’t attend. There is a price tag to prejudice. They should know that.
I actually would very much like to attend the conference you are offering in Missouri.
However, because of the current political climate in Missouri, with the voters approving a ban on equal marriage rights for gay people, I don’t feel that I can in clear conscience attend your conference.
I’ve attended some of your workshops in the past and have found them to be very good. However, I will not support bigotry in any form and if I were to attend your conference, no doubt some of the proceeds would go to Kansas City or the State of Missouri.
Perhaps at your next conference, you would take this into consideration? One would hope.
Sincerely...
Bottom line: MAKE YOUR MONEY WORK FOR YOU. Next time you plan that vacation, do a little research and find out their feelings on these issues. You may just be working against yourself.
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I agree bill,there was a theme park in west virginia that i use to take my neices and nephews too,but when i found out they would not let a group hold there party there because they were gay, i never went back,they are the same people who in the 50's and 60's would not let african americans there the same time whites where there,if people would stop paying into discrimination,then people would change there tune,we need to do the same thing with politicians too,stop giving money to politicans that knock us around,when they are in office we still have to pay there salarys,even when they say we are not considered to be human enough for them to vote for what they know we deserve,the same rights as heterosexual couples,we couldnt screw it up any more than some of them do.