Thosands Rally for Gay Right...why can't WE do this?!

I went to the NYSYLC trip to washington to fight for the Dream Act and we had only 500 people! And thats counting everyone that came not just in OUR buses, so nationally we could only get 500 people!?

Thats beyond pitifull. I just made a call to them asking them asking them for posters and anything else I can use to put up at my school. I'm part of the hispanic club at my college, and none there even knew about the Dream Act.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091011/...y_rights_march

Reality:

Gay citizens > undocumented straight youth > undocumented gay youth

Both causes are equally worthy. However, gay citizens will always receive preference. After all, they were born here. You can't deport them anywhere, can you? Not like us anyway. It's not a matter of what is more "fair," but a matter of what has more support. Let's face it, most of us chose to remain secretive. You can't build support for a cause when everyone is hiding.

The bad economy and unemployment rate could be factors behind it.

If the economy improves and the unemployment rate decreases I'm certain that there'd likely be more showing up.

Two of my friends who support the DREAM Act said they'd love to show up but one is still looking for a job to pay for tuition and the other is trying to find money to pay off credit card debts.

In addition, there is some homophobia in the Hispanic community considering that many are Catholics and socially conservative.

Pretty much sums it up.

It's because almost everyone is the US has or knows a gay relative, and considering it's a civil rights issue, you betcha it's going to get more support. Not everyone is related to an undocumented college student. Throw in the fact that if you live in the west coast, there's no way in hell you're driving cross country for the rally, at least I wouldn't. Just saying...

they also have Lady Gaga

I wish we would all fight together — a coalition of liberal causes, if you will.

Think about it: you have about 30 million lgbters, 20 million people with inadequate health care insurance, 12 million undocumented immigrants; that would be a march of monumental proportions (not that everyone would participate, but still)

Anyway, here's my favorite picture from Sunday's National Equality March:



*dies

I was there with the Immigration Equality people, and had a great time.

Still, you can't compare this rally ($$$) with what we were able to put together for the DREAM graduation. Harvey Milk said something along the lines that if all the gays came out, they would change the world (someone plz find the quote). That was decades ago, therefore they are much more able to mobilize now.

I think a lot can be gleaned from the Queer rights movement, actually, because when it began, emphasis was placed on 1) coming out as Queer 2) coming out as an ally. While deportation makes coming out as undocumented difficult, Dreamies who do make a huge impression, and use video, etc. to make their choices safer... also, I think that as a movement more emphasis (pressure!) should be put on getting allies to come out. Like me I am really interested in building strong allies among members of communities who immigrated less recently, and the stories of DREAMies who "come out" as undocumented are probably the most powerful tools in building allies support/ activism. If you are at all liberal, or even moderate, I don't think you can personally hear the story of a dreamer and not be moved to support the DREAM. I think turning more allies into activist is an important source of potential political power. Even more so than in the gay community, since in that case everyone is a voter, whereas with immigration only allies and family members are voters....

I believe that you are referring to this quote:

"Gay brothers and sisters,... You must come out. Come out... to your parents... I know that it is hard and will hurt them but think about how they will hurt you in the voting booth! Come out to your relatives... come out to your friends... if indeed they are your friends. Come out to your neighbors... to your fellow workers... to the people who work where you eat and shop... come out only to the people you know, and who know you. Not to anyone else. But once and for all, break down the myths, destroy the lies and distortions. For your sake. For their sake. For the sake of the youngsters who are becoming scared by the votes from Dade to Eugene."-Harvey Milk



I also included these other awesome Harvey Milk Quotes that can be applied to our cause =]:

“I cannot prevent anyone from getting angry, or mad, or frustrated. I can only hope that they’ll turn that anger and frustration and madness into something positive, so that two, three, four, five hundred will step forward, so the gay doctors will come out, the gay lawyers, the gay judges, gay bankers, gay architects … I hope that every professional gay will say ‘enough’, come forward and tell everybody, wear a sign, let the world know. Maybe that will help." -Harvey Milk

"It takes no compromising to give people their rights. It takes no money to respect the individual. It takes no survey to remove repressions." -Harvey Milk

“It's not my victory, it's yours and yours and yours. If a gay can win, it means there is hope that the system can work for all minorities if we fight. We've given them hope."
-Harvey Milk

“I know that you cannot live on hope alone, but without it, life is not worth living. And you… And you… And you… Gotta give em hope.” -Harvey Milk

“I have tasted freedom. I will not give up that which I have tasted. I have a lot more to drink. For that reason, the political numbers game will be played. I know the rules of their game now and how to play it.” -Harvey Milk