Weekend Review: PRIDE vs Inequality

"April Love" Weekend: A Trifecta of Equality Events

Our Worldwide Civil Rights March was planned on a Saturday April 21, 2012 to coincide and fall between two other important events, The Day of Silence on Friday April 20, 2012 and Earth Day on Sunday April 22, 2012 making it a trifecta weekend for Love, Peace and Equality...

Whatever happens to be on your Calendar for the Coming Weekend, approach it with the attitude of Solidarity and Recognition that We're ALL In This Together:

THE RIVER CITY NEWS MORE COVINGTON NEWS THAN ANY OTHER SOURCE

THE SUNDAY EDITION

COVINGTON, KY * 22 APRIL 2012

THIRD CANDIDATE FOR COVINGTON MAYOR RESPONDS TO

CRITICISM OF HER POSITION ON GAY ISSUES

Her name is Dara McDowell and she wants to be Mayor of Covington, campaigning on issues of morality and promoting tourism. The River City News talked with McDowell Thursday and the report generated a firestorm of comments on Facebook. Read the original report:

Morality & Tourism Top Mayoral Candidate McDowell's Agenda

"What I see, what I'm afraid of is that it's not only being condoned, it's being promoted," McDowell said in an interview Thursday with The River City News. It is what the Monte Casino mother of eight refers to as the homosexual agenda. A reference to sexual orientation by Scheper while highlighting the city's diversity during his January speech motivated McDowell to change her campaign's focus. "I'm concerned about leaving behind a town for my children, for all children, that is pro-homosexual agenda."

But the issue at the top of her priority list is morality. "(Homosexuality) is a choice," McDowell said. "I think it's important to respect choices, but to promote it? I see the undercurrent of that (in Covington)." In 2003, Covington passed a human rights ordinance that makes it one of three cities in Kentucky to offer protection to its gay citizens from discrimination. McDowell said Thursday that she would oppose gay pride festivals in the city which has held such an event the past two years. "I see what happens at gay pride parades and I don't want them in my town," she said.

James Vivian shared his overview of Saturday's March for Worldwide EQUAL HUMAN & CIVIL RIGHTS:

I for one am very proud of the hard work and grass roots effort all the participants and organizers of The 2012 Worldwide LGBTQIA Civil Rights March. Were there HUGE numbers and tons of media coverage? Well of course not, you would be a fool to think there would be! I think you are looking a little foolish downgrading our efforts because you are choosing to compare it to something it wasn't meant to be. We are not like the huge established organizations with millions of member dollars to spend on advertising, recruiting, planning and supplies. What there was is a great start to a new grass roots movement that is going to continue to grow.

The march had no intention of being anything like Pride, it was intended to be exactly the opposite, it was intended to promote equality and civil rights. Pride has become nothing more than a big party with parades, parties, nightclub events and is usually more like a "Spring Break" celebration in most places. In my opinion Pride holds back our movement because it plays right into the stereotypes that people believe we are, especially amongst conservative America. If you ask any heterosexual person, especially conservative, about the LGBT lifestyle the first thing they reference are the "flamers" (Drag Queens & Go-Go Boys) at the parade.

Although I don't speak for the group I suspect there will be another march next year that will be even bigger with even more players. It might even behoove some of the large organizations to get more involved because it doesn't look like this group intends to go away any time soon. People want to hear from groups like this, it is people like us that actually change the hearts and minds of even conservatives. People are beginning to view the large organizations as another political machine that they are tired of and many people no longer trust. These organizations would gain much in the eyes of the public, not just the LGBT community, if they embraced grass roots organizations instead of trying to shut them down.

My goal is for people to hear from real people like me and learn about my real family.

As an activist it has always amazed me how members of our own LGBT community seek to tear down others that are trying to accomplish something that doesn't fit into their pre-determined mold. What would happen if "organizations" and "others" offered to lend a helping hand instead of wanting it to fail? I would like to see an article like "What Would Happen If All LGBT Organizations Stood Together In Unity"?
An article you won't see because it doesn't fit into various LGBT organizations "business" model.

Joe Knudson shared a New York report From Todd Tif Fernandez:

"I joined these amazing young activists from Philly & Long Island and had a wonderful time! We stopped at Stonewall and a faerie friend was walking by and joined a short story telling about the 1969 Rebellion, and then pictures were mandatory on Gay street, and the lead organizer (who's name I'm blanking on, but will get and share) gave a great speech and wonderful poem in Washington Square.

I taught them the "I AM" chant - and they did it powerfully. "I am. (I am) Somebody. (Somebody). And I deserve. (echo) Full Equality. (echo) Right here. (echo, etc.) Right now. I deserve. Full Equality. "
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Sad to report that what happened here this last weekend was that the 3rd Candidiate for Mayor of Covington came out with her platform against the "homosexual agenda", specifically targeting Gay Pride Events, lol...

Am anxious to see how that effects this year's Pride (Spring Break) Festival. Personally, I'm tickled to death she came OUT and reminded everyone that the work ain't done yet...Human Rights: "Sexual Orientation" vs "Sexual Preference"

As those of us in attendance know, there were only two people who spoke in opposition to passing the revised "HUMAN RIGHTS" Ordinance at last nights public hearing. While it was indeed uplifting and hopeful to hear so many of our CommUNITY, friends and neighbors speak with great conviction, emotion and urgency that our Commissioners do the "right thing" and approve the ordinance, I think it important to address the concerns of those two opposing the measure.

To do that, however, one must consider the language or semantics that have been used to cloud the true issue.  First and foremost, it is a HUMAN RIGHTS ordinance not a "Gay Rights" ordinance.  Second, the contested change provides for protection against discrimination in the areas of Housing, Employment and Public Accommodations.  Thirdly, the protection is afforded to a class of people based on Sexual Orientation, NOT Sexual Preference.  What's the difference you may ask?

We speak of Human Rights as they relate to our humanity and certain inalienable rights that our Founding Fathers spoke of when they wrote those immortal words  "ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL".  Since that time, when the signers of that magnificent document were all Straight(?) White Anglo Saxon Protestants, our beloved country has grown into a very diverse place.  It is only right and just that as we have evolved as a nation, we have taken steps to re-interpret that document and affirm that we believe now as they did then that indeed, ALL HUMANITY IS CREATED EQUAL. A Human Rights ordinance does not serve to extend any special rights to any class of people, but merely to AFFIRM that all classes of people are equally entitled to those rights in the face of those who would regard themselves as superior or more entitled because of their own prejudices.

In regard to Housing, Employment and Public Accommodations, it takes no rights away from providers of those things to discriminate fairly or to choose the best applicant. If a landlord is a bigot and doesn't want to rent to me, I would rather him say so.  Since coming "OUT" and endeavoring to live as one speaker said - "A full and honest life",  I've always been upfront with prospective landlords and employers.  And if any other business or public accommodation doesn't want my money that's just as green as the next guy's, it's their loss not mine.  Personally, I want to reserve my right to discriminate against their prejudices and not do business with or work for them anyway.  In any case, especially Housing, there are so many other ways that people can discriminate legally if they so choose.  My own personal experience in Covington's rental market as someone who is Gay, HIV+ and on disability, is that I experience more discrimination in Housing -legally- as a holder of a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher than as a Gay or disabled person.

"Sexual Orientation" refers to the recognized scientific, civil and humane notion that who one is attracted to is as immutable as skin color.  On the other hand, "Sexual Preference" refers to things like doing it in a public park.  As far as I know, irregardless of Sexual Orientation, that is an illegal activity.  The ordinance does not grant immunity or protection of ANY KIND against any act so deemed AGAINST THE LAW.  The majority of us in the GLBT Community are just as offended as any other citizens by such actions. I firmly believe that if we make that clear, we will calm the fears of the Grandfather who likes to frequent Devou Park with his grandchildren.

Unfortunately, what the ordinance will do nothing about is the personal prejudices the other opposition speaker unabashedly admitted to: "Believe it or not, there are still some people out there, as archaic as it may sound, who still believe that a family consists of a daddy and a mommy and a couple of kids. And anything other than that, they find objectionable".
Michael W. Connett - Covington, Ky

  “Habit 6 – Synergy is about producing a third alternative – not my way, not your way, but a third way that is better than either of us would come up with individually.  It’s the fruit of mutual respect – of understanding and even celebrating one another’s differences in solving problems, seizing opportunities. Synergistic teams and families thrive on individual strengths so that the whole becomes greater than the sum of the parts.  Such relationships and teams renounce defensive adversarialism (1+1=1/2).  They don’t settle on compromise (1+1=1-1/2) or merely cooperation (1+1=2).  They go for creative cooperation (1+1=3 or more).”