Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Tips On Protesting Prop 8


Tonight is the big protest at the Mormon Temple in New York. I think these tips on protesting are useful and important. Let's not be anti-religious bigots and, as you've heard me many times talk about on the show, let's not engage in this divisive race-blaming game. And it should also go without saying -- but sadly, must be said again and again --- no ugly racist rhetoric.

We're together and marching on a political institution and global antigay empire that happens to be a church. It's not their beliefs and practices we protest -- it's what they have done to us, forcing their ideology into politics and taking away our rights, that is important and the reason we are there tonight.

On the issue of race, and the media meme that the black community was somehow more responsible for Prop 8 -- a false claim taking off from an overblown story -- I've spoken on the show with Pam Spaulding about the scapegoating, and we've discussed it with many listeners, and I've been heartened by the discussion. It's an important discussion that needs to aired. Today, Rod McCullom will join me on the show to discuss this issue further, including a discussion of racist outbursts that occurred at protests in LA.

This is important to talk about and certainly it's not something we want to see tonight. Tonight is about directing and focusing our outrage on an institution that in fact exploited many people's misinformed views and lack of education on our issues, whether those people were black, white, male, female, young or old. It's the source of the lying ads that we're taking on tonight, the power center that raised the money and spewed the propaganda. Let's stay focused on that. See you all there!