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Solidarity Within The LGBT Movement

Started by Shana A, April 12, 2008, 07:03:57 AM

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Shana A

Jaclyn: Solidarity Within The LGBT Movement

Jaclyn joins us from her blog:

http://feed.belowthebelt.org/2008/04/jaclyn-solidarity-within-lgbt-movement.html

Despite its high profile, the cause of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights continues to stand out as the one major area of civil rights in which relatively little progress has been made. Fanatical opposition on the part of the religious right and uneasy apathy on the part of much of the liberal left play a major role in this, but I believe the root cause is a deplorable lack of solidarity among the members of the LGBT community.
"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." Oscar Wilde


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Kaelin

Sort of the problem is that the "religious right" is that it is a rather homogenous block compared to left-wingers.  On a great range of issues, it's easier to erode support by liberals/Democrats than conservatives/Republicans because they are more inclined to make decisions themselves (sometimes carelessly) rather than submissively obey the establishment.  With that in mind, two things need to happen:

Those who seek progressive ends for themselves need to respect that there are other people seeking other progressive ends for themselves, and they can't stand for getting rights for themselves but still allowing the others (particularly those facing a similar plight) to get trampled on.  It's selfish to give in to a divide-and-conquer strategy.

Still, there is the flip side... we have to erode the seemingly unbreakable block of people who have such a great deal of ignorance about social issues (including GLBTI).  I don't think we go for a direct assault, but we can deal with what holds them together -- a submissive ignorance that keeps them from thinking and making decisions for themselves.  We have nudge people to stray from their comfort zone and challenge all the ideas they are exposed to.  To use (in)deductive reasoning to test ideas, preferably with multiple philosophies.  And above all, not just take directions from someone else on how and what to think.
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