Building a Cohesive & Politically EFFECTIVE B-F LGBTIQ Alliance

[AtLast]

After the US mid-term election results, our working together as a cohesive community is critical for so many legislative and public educational goals we share simply as members of this community. Individual rights and liberties of each and every one of us are at stake from same-sex marriage, adoption, transgender civil liberties to banishing prevalent myths about our varied forms of sexuality. The list is long with things that matter to all of us.

Unfortunately, we do battle among ourselves often which only leads to being defeated as a viable and important sub-community within the LGBTIQ umbrella (feel free to add a letter!). The “them and us” thinking we sometimes get caught up in just gets in the way of actually making a difference politically.

As the US 2012 general election cycle nears (and it will be upon us far faster than we might think!), I would like to put energy into that “all politics are local” dictum and explore with our entire membership how we can unite here on the Planet and make this unification flow into our real-time lives. Putting aside individual differences and being part of a common alliance just has to be something we can do!


The definitions of cohesion, and networking have been floating through my mind in trying to figure out ways in which this kind of political success can be achieved.

Cohesion- joining or working together: the state or condition of joining or working together to form a united whole, or the tendency to do this.

Networking- practice of gathering of contacts: the process or practice of building up or maintaining informal relationships, especially with people whose friendship could bring advantages such as job or business opportunities.


Please post thoughts about how you put this kind of coalition building together and how you have experienced success in whatever political and social movement contexts you have been part of. I am an older member, so, I need to become more knowledgeable about what younger members do to build solid and positive and effective political alliances. I can always learn from my contemporaries as well. Finding out about the differing areas we live in and how geographical locations influence our ability to unite would be useful to hear about.

I hope the thread can be a positive catalyst to explore (and then be applied in real-time) ways to effectively bridge the multi-faceted nature of our community, no matter what side of issues one takes and get ready for some of the election battles in 2012.

I hope we can stay away from personal liberal/progressive/conservative, et. Al. ideology and just focus on the mechanics of coalition building to effectively promote (and win battles) issues that affect all of us as B-F Queers of every combination and identity!

[Rockinonahigh]

ALH..great idea,we should do all we can to guard our community and rights we have and want in the future.

[Nat]

I am excited by this thread and subscribing for now.

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by Rockinonahigh

ALH..great idea,we should do all we can to guard our community and rights we have and want in the future.

Thanks!

I wonder if any member is going to run for a local office. School boards, city or county councils, whatever. Or, higher office. And if out, how are they presenting this?

Has anyone been at the center of developing a proposition for a ballot (or what ever system in the state you live in calls this) and been part of the election strategies used? Most of the time I have done "go-for" tasks and phone bank stuff, not had a development role and would like to hear from folks that have.

How can we somehow help bring our part of the entire range of LGBTIQ people and find common ground and put together a LARGE queer base that we can use to deal with non-queer people in our towns and cities? Enough of splintering!

Other stuff I am wondering about is about how we can overcome issues of butch, trans, etc. femme- however we identify (or not) and stop allowing those differences to keep us apart even in threads so that we remain a not only a voting block, but stop knee-jerk personal affronts so that we can work together. Sometimes this involves working with people you don’t care for. Nothing new, there, people have done this for a long time in political and social movements.

Who knows about crossing boundaries in voter populations? If you have ever walked precincts for more controversial LGBTIQ stances or candidates- what do we need to know about how we present to those outside of queerdom? Have you been on panel discussions during elections?

There are a lot of folks here that have some of these experiences and I want to pick their brains! I refuse to sit back and see what happened last Tuesday again! Because I am fully retired now, I do have more time to give to political elections. There are a lot of our members that have been hit hard with the recession and trying stay above water that do need to stay afloat. So, some do have to try to take up some slack. But, that can be hard if you don't feel cohesion behind you (not total agreement on everything, just cohesion in effort/goals).

Bringing the younger voter into the process as well as establishing good relationships between all races and ethnicities is critical- again, look at our membership and the need to understand POC/E issues.

[Rockinonahigh]

Hear we have a pflag and a pace (political actvist gay group)im on both mailing list but as things hear usely are,not much is or has gone on.We just had mid term elections and reelected our city mayor,who last year gave ppl who work for the city that are glbt protection against job loss or harrasment of any kind because of being queer..I even think he gave them medical benefits.retirements ect.Suposedly Bossier city,right across the river said they have a simular policy..its the first time ive herd of it being I lived there most of my life and,untill now ,have been unaware of it.Many times I have thought about trying to run for political office but doubt I can get the backing of the glbt community to do so..I mean if I cant get backing from my own glbt ppl it will be a moot point to run..u can bet it will come up in the process of runing for office.We have much appathy in the community that it will take a lot to change the set minds hear,I have spoken to many about such things but the anser I get over all is..It dosent make any diffrents what we do..we arent in a place that the religious right dosnt put a stop to anything to do with the glbt ppl..so why bother.

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by Rockinonahigh

Hear we have a pflag and a pace (political actvist gay group)im on both mailing list but as things hear usely are,not much is or has gone on.We just had mid term elections and reelected our city mayor,who last year gave ppl who work for the city that are glbt protection against job loss or harrasment of any kind because of being queer..I even think he gave them medical benefits.retirements ect.Suposedly Bossier city,right across the river said they have a simular policy..its the first time ive herd of it being I lived there most of my life and,untill now ,have been unaware of it.Many times I have thought about trying to run for political office but doubt I can get the backing of the glbt community to do so..I mean if I cant get backing from my own glbt ppl it will be a moot point to run..u can bet it will come up in the process of runing for office.We have much appathy in the community that it will take a lot to change the set minds hear,I have spoken to many about such things but the anser I get over all is..It dosent make any diffrents what we do..we arent in a place that the religious right dosnt put a stop to anything to do with the glbt ppl..so why bother.

I often think about how it is in places like you are in! A very good reason for having a place such as this site to be able to communicate with each other! I grew up (middle-school and HS years) in a small Northern CA town and have to say that there was much the same going on. So many people believe that all of CA is open to queerdom and more progressive politically- that is just not true.

And these are the places that we need to open up! Plus, I keep wanting to re-locate in a more rural setting. I miss a more quiet life. One of the things I keep thinking about is that when I am able to make a move, it is important that I make contacts with "our people" (meaning the B-F aspects of the LGBTIQ populations) before moving. The Planet provides a way to do this. Supah'!!

It seems like some of our members (like the administrators, but there are others) have made progress with being able to relocate to a more rural setting, yet, be political and themselves. I admire the folks here that do this and hope I develop what it takes as an older person to do this. I love SF and the Bay Area due to it being more open, but, the pace is not for me, overall. And it has a high cost of living which as a retired person, cuts into my ability to travel more and just do things I enjoy doing that do have fees, etc. LOL... I am just at one of those "simplify" stages in life, I think.

Thanks for your input.

[Dragonfly]

Originally Posted by AtLastHome

I often think about how it is in places like you are in! A very good reason for having a place such as this site to be able to communicate with each other! I grew up (middle-school and HS years) in a small Northern CA town and have to say that there was much the same going on. So many people believe that all of CA is open to queerdom and more progressive politically- that is just not true.

And these are the places that we need to open up! Plus, I keep wanting to re-locate in a more rural setting. I miss a more quiet life. One of the things I keep thinking about is that when I am able to make a move, it is important that I make contacts with "our people" (meaning the B-F aspects of the LGBTIQ populations) before moving. The Planet provides a way to do this. Supah'!!

It seems like some of our members (like the administrators, but there are others) have made progress with being able to relocate to a more rural setting, yet, be political and themselves. I admire the folks here that do this and hope I develop what it takes as an older person to do this. I love SF and the Bay Area due to it being more open, but, the pace is not for me, overall. And it has a high cost of living which as a retired person, cuts into my ability to travel more and just do things I enjoy doing that do have fees, etc. LOL... I am just at one of those "simplify" stages in life, I think.

Thanks for your input.

I think we would see an huge influx of activity from rural areas if folks from the larger communities start relocating AND staying committed to fostering new growth politically. Imagine if fifty strong experienced leader types were to move into the rural areas across this country and create a structured organized outlet for those of us scattered away from the big cities... !!

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by Dragonfly

I think we would see an huge influx of activity from rural areas if folks from the larger communities start relocating AND staying committed to fostering new growth politically. Imagine if fifty strong experienced leader types were to move into the rural areas across this country and create a structured organized outlet for those of us scattered away from the big cities... !!

WOW and YES!!

I am going to relocate myself- hopefully within a year or two. My roots have been calling me back to a much more quiet and simple existence. I have wanted to do this for a time, now, yet, I have always thought about how rural areas and being queer can be so difficult!

However, it is this very site with input from a lot of people that are effecting change and building coalitions in more rural places that has made me realize that I can move to an area that suits me better internally and have community around me and still be involved in the things that matter to me.