We won’t be taken for granted
Join the Impact Massachusetts formed in response to the passage of California Proposition 8, which overturned same-sex marriage in that state. Over the last seven months, the group has been in the forefront of LGBT civil rights organizing in Boston, pulling together a demonstration of more than 5,000 against Prop 8 in November, a protest of against the Defense of Marriage Act in January, and another action in response to the California Supreme Court's decision to uphold Prop 8 in May.
It also organized large protests to confront the bigoted Westborough Baptist Church and formed its first LGBT Equality contingent within the annual Boston Gay Pride Parade in June. On June 23, with just two days notice, the group organized an action of 50 people to protest a Democratic National Committee (DNC) fundraiser at Fenway Park in Boston.
Paul Sousa is a leading activist in Join the Impact MA who led organizing for the protest at the DNC fundraiser. He talked to .
WHAT WAS your response to the Obama administration's recent legal actions in support of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and "don't ask, don't tell" policy?
I WAS completely disappointed in him. I was a huge supporter of Obama during his campaign. I told all my friends and coworkers about candidate Obama and even campaigned door-to-door for him in New Hampshire. I was really inspired during the campaign when he made promises to fight for LGBT equality--I honestly believed in him.
What disappoints me the most is the extent to which he had his Department of Justice uphold DOMA, by equating same-sex marriage to pedophilia and incest. He has the ability and responsibility to not uphold laws that are so unjust and discriminatory.
It's so infuriating because, as the president, he could sign an executive order ending DOMA and "don't ask, don't tell," and sign into law full LGBT equality. Others have done things similar, but he's choosing not to.
WHY DID Join the Impact choose to pressure the Democrats and protest a DNC fundraiser, given that larger LGBT rights groups like the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) have chosen a strategy that doesn't put that kind of pressure on the Democrats?
WHEN IT comes to mobilizing people and getting people involved in the fight for civil rights, we have seen more results in the past few weeks then we have in the six months. If we want to see change, we have to organize and fight--that's the only way we will ever get results.
We have to hold Obama accountable to the promises that he made to LGBT people; we have to keep the pressure and struggle going. We have to be unapologetic when it comes to our civil rights. We need to call the Democrats out when they stand for injustice and inequality.
We can't allow them to think that they can take the LGBT community for granted; they can't just take our donations and not deliver us the civil rights and equality they promised us. We have even started to see some key people within the Beltway groups like the HRC pull out their support for funding the DNC.
WHAT DO you believe it will take to win full LGBT equality?
IT'S NOT a matter of if anymore, but when. Today, there are millions of openly LGBT people throughout the country, most straight people know and care about someone who's LGBT, and polls consistently show people are far more supportive of equal rights for LGBT people then they were 10 years ago.
Time is on our side. Now, we need to take advantage of these opportunities and mobilize these forces into a sustained and organized grassroots movement for equality that can pressure politicians to deliver full civil rights.
But history shows us that once we win advances, we are going to have to defend them against the homophobic right, like what's happening in Maine where activists are beginning to organize against a ballot measure to overturn same-sex marriage.
HOW WOULD you describe the protest of the DNC you took part in on June 23?
THE CROWD was one of the most electric, visible and vocal I have ever experienced. There was even a chant that went on for 10 minutes; it went "Show me what democracy looks like! This is what democracy looks like!" while participants would point at themselves and others in the crowd with glowing appreciation that we were all part of a movement and bringing attention to an important issue.
The second part of the chant went, "Show me what hypocrisy looks like! That is what hypocrisy looks like!" in which people would then point across the street to the fundraiser. It was disappointing to see the interim executive director of Mass Equality, Scott Gortikov, going into the fundraiser even as we urged him to stand by and support us.
I believe people were so passionate because these are issues that deeply affect our everyday lives; these are our civil rights we are fighting for. Our goal of awareness to bring about increased pressure was certainly accomplished.
