The Progression of Civil Rights

In the early 1990s, I advocated pursuing the fight for full marriage equality, in the Hawaii case. Most of the leadership in the LGBTQ community (with the notable exception of Evan Wolfson) nay-sayed the idea, saying that it was too much, too soon.

Having studied the civil rights struggles of two notable minority groups in this nation (namely, women and Blacks), it's clear that the minority remained oppressed for centuries because they were appeased with the step-by-step breadcrumbs thrown at them by those in power, those who kept them in second-class citizenship status.

I argued that, to break this cycle, we must not accept these small steps, these small breadcrumbs and scraps of rights thrown from the table. We must not have to fight 20 years just to achieve one equal right and another 30 years to achieve another. Instead, we must ask for it all, the whole kit and kaboodle, upfront. Only then will we be able to achieve the equality to which we are legally entitled.

Twenty years later, my hypothesis has proved true: in those states where marriage equality is a reality, there is nearly full equality and protections under civil law for LGBTQ individuals. In those states without marriage equality, there is virtually none--perhaps a smattering of rights strewn about here and there.

WHEN will people stop being blinded by the truth and demand to be treated fully as equals to their fellow citizens under the laws of this nation?

The major LGBTQ organisations (Human Rights Champage, NGLTF, etc.) are concerned with one thing: ingraining themselves into positions of power within the existing, corrupted and wasteful power structures. They are concerned very little with the basic, human rights denied to so many, far too frequently, in way too many regions across the globe.

The following organisations are more concerned with, and fighting for, our full equality. They deserve your support--your full support.


Demand Equality
A Rights Odyssey
Occupy Equality
STONEWALL Veterans' Association
Occupy Justice
Occupy Wall Street