meeting in the middle

i went to fresno out of obligation. it was most certainly a self imposed obligation, as i felt it important that i be there. i believe in marriage equality because i believe in equality, the end. i fight for this particular piece because i have to, because if i don't, the fight has one less warrior. and that is unacceptable to me.

because it is unacceptable to me that, in this day and age of america, people can still look at one another and believe they are better than the other because of race, religion, socio-economic background, and sexual orientation. (but i definitely think it's okay to think i'm better than racists, people with closed minds, and those who choose to be dummies.)

but 'meet in the middle' was really boring. there were too many people giving too many speeches that said the same thing over and over and over. and sadly, many of the speakers highlighted the same divisive rhetoric that lost prop 8 in the first place.

despite my criticism, it was a great first effort. setting it up in fresno, "in the middle", at city hall, made a statement that attracted a lot of activists. and i applaud the organizers for making this happen. but next time, an event needs more entertainment, less preachy (see boring) speeches, more booths, more _food_, and when you've asked activists to march for 14 miles, how's about you offer them a small bag of fruit, cheese sticks, and a muffin so they won't die? next time...

the worst (and perhaps best, depending on the direction assumed today) part though, is that it was made abundantly clear yesterday that the LGBT community remains in dire need of new leadership. the good news is that if anyone is paying attention, the new leadership is rising, speaking, and running for office.

i can only hope that the leaders of yesterday who may not yet recognize that their fight has been lost, will open their eyes and step aside for the brave new leadership who sees that more hearts are won with honey than hatred.

~k