The editorial from the Arizona Daily Wildcat featured a discussion on the recent results in the Maine election. An Arizona grad student, and member of Tucson Equality Movement, responds to the editors' critique with one of her own.
I agree with the authors that there is an uphill battle for the LGBTQ community to win equal rights. However, I am not surprised by the election, although it is clearly not the conclusion I wanted. Consider the statistics, as usual the Conservative Right had a decent turn out and voted consistently within the party line. The Democrats and left of centers did not have a sizeable turn out. Why exactly would that happen? Well why wouldn't it when there is no consistent, outright support from the Democrats in favor of state and federal legislation that would grant LGBTQ community members equal access to rights and benefits within the law? Why would the same people who turned out in record numbers mobilize again in any great capacity when President Obama makes a statement that the White House is committed to maintaining Don't Ask Don't Tell during the so called "LGBT Pride Month"? People are tired of the rhetoric, tired of the relentless deceit and it's no wonder fewer people would come out to vote.
Further, a fight to get access to equal rights for the LGBTQ community is going to be 50x harder than a fight to get access to rights at the federal level. Do the math: either 50 governors sign a bill or President Obama does. And even if we do get the states' full support, that does not guarantee the 1,100 rights granted by the Federal government. The organizers and participants of the National Equality March, which saw over 200,000 people walk through the streets of D.C. demanding full and equal protection and rights under the law, know that.
The fight is on the streets, not in the ballot box. But if Democratic, or Republican, congresspeople want to join the fight, then let them in. But we sure should not wait around for them to get their act together. The strategy now is to continue the grassroots movement that is growing across the nation. First we marched to protest, but now we're marching to organize.
It's time to build strategies for a new LGBTQI movement in Tucson. If anyone is interested in working with the Tucson Equality Movement, you should come to our panel discussion this Friday the 13th at 6pm in the Diamondback Room of the PSU.
Angela Stoutenburgh is a graduate student at the University of Arizona and a member of the International Socialist Organization. To read the editorial go to their website.
