Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world

If you watched the President Obama's first State of the Union speech this week, you heard him call for the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", the militaristic version of "love the sinner, hate the sin" that was signed into law by Bill Clinton, the same guy who signed the Defense of Marriage Act into law.

The New York Times posted an editorial this morning calling the policy, "always pointless and cruel." The piece concludes:

"Much more needs to be done, including recognizing same-sex marriage at the national level and passing a federal law protecting gay people from discrimination on the job. Repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell” would be an important step forward."

The Onion, a satirical news source, covered Don't Ask, Don't Tell in 2008 in a really funny video. (If you haven't seen it, please take a few minutes to watch :) )

Clearly, changing laws and policies is vital for LGBTQ liberation; however, critical piece of policy work is working to change hearts and minds.

One of Boulder Pride's most important programs is called SpeakingOUT. Trained LGBTQ and Allied panelists from Boulder County share their stories and answer questions from diverse audiences that include middle and high school students, social service providers, religious and spiritual organizations and college students. SpeakingOUT’s mission is to cultivate awareness and understanding of GLBTQ lives and experiences.

With increased LGBTQ visibility in the media, politics and other social institutions, you may think we no longer need to share our stories. A month ago, I may have even agreed with you. But recently I participated on a SpeakingOUT panel at CU Boulder.

It was an upper division class of future high school and middle school teachers. They listened intently with open minds and hearts. It was clear, though, that their questions reflected ignorance and myths that persist about the LGBTQ communty.

One student said, "My best friend just came out to me as gay. I don't want to have to hear all about his sex life and I'm worried he's going to die from AIDS. What should I do?" Another reflected, "I was raised in a really Christian home and learned that homosexuality is wrong. This panel is the first time I even questioned what I was taught by my parents and am realizing it may not all be true. Thank you for opening my eyes." Another student shared, "My uncle is gay, but no one in my family ever talks about it. This panel makes me want to learn more. I now want to ask my uncle about his life."

Sometimes community organizing work can seem overwhelming- how can we ever change all the laws and policies, as well as people's hearts and minds? I look to Howard Zinn who said, “Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.”

If you are interested in more information on joining SpeakingOUT , please email me at cathy@boulderpride.org.

Have a great weekend!