The EqMD Insider
RECENT ENTRIES:
- Tuesday, October 28, 2008: Why I'm Voting
- Wednesday, October 22, 2008: Musings from an Insomniac Pastor
- Wednesday, October 15, 2008: There are no gay people
- Wednesday, October 8, 2008: OUT in the Community
Wednesday, October 28, 2008
Why I'm Voting
David Grant was an Equality Maryland intern this past summer. David's back in southwest Florida finishing up his Legal Studies major at Florida Gulf Coast University. He plans to go to law school and work for a non-profit organization.
After months of watching the news, watching the debates, fact checking, tracking the polls, campaigning, waiting in line to see Sarah Palin, waiting in line to see Joe Biden, it has all come down to today.
Today I voted.
These past few months have been some of the most exciting and exhausting months of my life due to the election. Living in Florida has only enhanced this experience. With 27 electoral votes, a large focus is placed on Florida by both the McCain and Obama campaigns. Not only is Florida’s large number of electoral votes enticing to the candidates, but this year Florida is extremely close with no definite leader.
There is no way to escape the election; there are signs, billboards, posters, countless bumper stickers, and it is the topic of everyone’s conversations. On a ten minute ride to work I am guaranteed to see nine or ten advertisements for one candidate or the other. The reason for all the involvement in the election is because everyone knows the importance of their vote this year, after all, Al Gore lost by only a little over 500 votes in 2000! Not only am I in a swing state, but my county, Lee, could be called a ‘swing county’ this year. In the last election if just three people voted for Kerry at each polling location in Lee County, Kerry would have won Florida. These numbers show how crucial it is for everyone down here to get out to vote. Voter turn for early voting is seeing record numbers. I waited in line for over a half hour this morning for early voting so I can only imagine what November 4th will be like.
The presidential election is not the only important issue on the ballot. In three states, including Florida, voters will be deciding whether to pass discriminatory constitutional amendments that harm gay families. Here in Florida we have a constitutional amendment that would ban marriage and any other legal status for gay and straight unmarried couples. In Florida 60 percent of the people voting need to approve a constitutional amendment, unlike most states that only require a simple majority. Recent polls show the amendment is only supported by 53-58 percent (with a 2 percent margin for error). These polls show how incredibly close this amendment is to being defeated, and how important my vote is.
There is no way to deny the importance of every vote in Florida and there is nothing more exciting than knowing my voice will be heard. The election is too close to call so every Floridian knows their vote will count. Casting the ballot today was one of the single most important actions I have taken and I know my voice was heard.
Whether you’re in Maryland or Florida every vote matters in this election. Voting is the most basic level of participation in our country – don’t miss out on this important opportunity to lend your voice to the future of your city, county, state and country.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Musings from an Insomniac Pastor
Rev. Larry Brumfield is the Chair for Pride In Faith, a network of congregations and leaders of faith who advocate for equality and justice for LGBT Marylanders. Rev. Brumfield, a retired civil engineer, is a pastor and leader in the Church of the Brethren, as well a courageous social and civic activist. He is one of a very few African American leaders residing in Carroll County, Maryland who has been recognized for their cross-cultural and bold leadership on progressive issues in a traditionally staunchly conservative area.
I am often troubled when I am confronted by people of “faith” of any kind, flavor or origin writing position papers, editorials, sermons, talking points, and rants excluding LGBT folk from the loving grace of their creator. It takes a lot of energy, forethought, and determination to come to these conclusions and justify them in text. Looking and examining small minutia, words, paragraphs and punctuation in scripture to validate our insecurity. Whereas it would be so easy to open our hearts, minds and arms and welcome ALL in the spirit of Matthew when he says so lovingly “What you do to the least of my children you do to me.”
I am particularly disturbed by my brothers and sisters of color who refuse to acknowledge that the struggle of our LGBT family is equal to and a continuation of the struggle for ALL oppressed people.
The same denials, so familiar to us in Jim Crow America, come back to haunt us in discriminatory practices against our LGBT brothers and sisters. So predictable: “I didn’t own any slaves, my family were immigrants and blah, blah, blah. As Katrina Browne a descendant of one of the most successful family of slave traders said last week on NPR radio, “If you wore cotton or put sugar in your tea or coffee, at some point you benefited from the slave trade.” In a more subtle and closeted manner, “if you valued the arts, admired designer clothes, applauded an outstanding performance on stage or emotionally moved by words of poetry or novel and in the Black Church, comforted by ministry of the “choir” You have benefited from the oppression of our LGBT brethren.
Can I just tell you what I think the debate is really about? It is the acknowledgement of “privilege.” In my beloved America, we hate to acknowledge that any of us gets any sort of leg up, In fact the more privileged you are the less likely you are to admit it, the more you have of it the more invisible privilege becomes, then privilege morphs into entitlement. The entitlement of forgetting, as if it never happened at all.
I am ever so thankful I serve a God who will not allow us to conveniently forget. I am ever so blessed that I am part of a legacy of Malcolm and King.
When my savior said “it is finished” there were no exceptions, no disclaimers, no small print and no EXCLUSIONS.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
There are no gay people
Alice Francis is a resident of Ohio. Partially retired, she spends part of her time working as a secretary and the other more enjoyable part working in her yard. Alice and her husband, Darrel, live in a small town in rural Ohio and celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this year. They have three children and three grandchildren. Their youngest daughter is the former Development Director of Equality Maryland and lives in Baltimore, Maryland.
Wearing yellow and green on Thursday caused snickers during my high school years in the 50’s – they would laugh about that person being gay; but back then; there weren’t any gay people because they stayed in the closet. My parents whispered about Uncle Everett – that funny guy from Columbus; but we weren’t sure what that meant. We didn’t really put “gay” with people.
Then in September several years ago, we met our daughter at a restaurant for dinner – she had been married and divorced – and she was back into the dating scene. As she talked, and her face shone with happiness, our hearts were full of joy for her. But then, she dropped the bomb – her new love was not a man but a woman. I can not express our shock but with smiles on our faces we carried on; only after we left her did our shock express itself.
So begins my journey.
I did not have any prejudice against gays – really didn’t have any interaction with any – I live in a very small town, very conservative, so if gays lived in our community, they would not be proactive about their lifestyle.
I have attended church all my life which this issue caused a battle of confusion within me. How could God do this? How could we possibly have two daughters who live a gay lifestyle? I’m not sure this will make any sense but early on I battled it with the question, “What is the biggest sin?” We have all sin so is this the biggest on?
One daughter lives a very quiet lifestyle; the other daughter lives to be herself no matter where she is or who she is with. She has no intention of living a closet lifestyle which forced me to examine myself in a deeper way – and it was painful.
To help me with that journey, she connected me with the PFLAG in Dayton and attended the first meeting with me. I attended meetings for awhile - and cried. The people I met, the problems I heard, the anticipation of better days ahead, all helped me during those early days.
We met our daughter’s friend – how nervous she must have been – we liked her – but not as our daughter’s partner because we just weren’t there yet. There are two huge issues here – tradition (what is accepted by society) and religion (which could be considered another tradition).
She and her partner were married in Canada and then repeated their vows with all the flavor of a wedding & reception in Columbus. My husband could not attend; he was still struggling with his daughter’s being in love with another woman. I attended – for me it was a day completely filled with confusion swirling all around me. She is my daughter and I love her very much and I was happy that she found happiness but – she married another woman. That tradition stuff gets in your head and it’s difficult to adjust to a new way of thinking.
I have a friend that he can not tell his parents he is gay because he knows they will not accept him for who he is. But not our girls; they laid it right on us – wow, how much they must have trusted us.
Our love for our children is unconditional love so although I have not completed the journey one thing that I have figured out – it doesn’t matter about tradition so much - I am pleased that two people found love, happiness, and share the sad times, share their joys, and their challenges together.
We are family.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
OUT in the Community
Kevin Walling is a volunteer with Equality Maryland serving on the Fund Development Board. He recently relocated to Silver Spring, MD, where he works in development and finance for the New Organizing Institute, a progressive non-profit.
This past Saturday, I joined Carrie and Mary of EQMD and another volunteer (and new friend!), Mel, to participate in the first Equality Maryland canvassing trip to nearby Takoma Park, MD. For close to four hours, we knocked on doors, discussed issues facing LGBT individuals and families in Maryland, played with some dogs and passed out Civil Marriage yard signs, and generally had a blast.
I know some folks reading this post are already thinking I'm crazy for saying that we had a blast knocking on stranger's doors, but it was a lot of fun talking about the great work Equality Maryland is doing for our rights with friendly neighbors. Plus, it was a gorgeous day to be outside in historic Takoma Park.
I was really amazed with how many people knew about Equality Maryland and the topic that a lot of people wanted to discuss with Mel and I was the Gender Identity and Expression anti-discrimination law that was passed in Montgomery County. As many of you know, some radical conservative groups, based outside of Maryland, challenged the law by seeking to place it on the ballot in November. Their petition was thrown out by the MD Court of Appeals and many of the people we encountered were interested to hear about the case and what's next for advancing these protections on the state level.
Our team worked together to gain signatures for a petition that simply states that we should not discriminate against individuals on the basis of gender identity. I was truly awed by the support I saw in the community for these kinds of protections and I'm looking forward to bringing these ideas and voices to Annapolis during this year's Equality Maryland Lobby Day on February 2nd. For me personally, I am truly grateful for the opportunity to live in Montgomery County – a place where basic human rights are protected by our elected officials, but unfortunately many fellow Marylanders do not enjoy those same protections. We need to change that, together.
Our volunteer team is gearing up for another set of neighborhood canvassing next weekend in Baltimore. I encourage anyone who is interested in making a difference in the community and fighting for the rights of LGBT individuals and families to come out and walk with us.