Protest Messages
Taking our message to the streets has been an important part of the American political process of change. The Women’s Suffrage Movement and the Civil Rights Movement included protests, rallies and marches. It is reasonable that GLBT people and our allies are taking to the streets again in response to the passing of Proposition 8 and the sermon series at First Baptist Church Dallas. We too need to gather both to voice our frustration and to get our message to the millions of people who still do not have all the facts or who have bought into the fear that somehow GLBT civil rights will impinge on their religious and civil rights.
It is hard work to remain centered in the midst of emotional and personal protests. When someone is yelling hateful epitaphs at you personally or through the media or legislation, it is difficult not to simply send an equally dismissive response back.
Recently on The View, Whoopi Goldberg was reading examples of protest signs from a protest held in Los Angeles in front of a Mormon Church. As Elisabeth Hasselbeck pointed out, many of the signs returned one stereotype with another. One sign shared on the show said, “My two mommies can beat up your 14 wives!” Sure we can laugh at it however does it present the message we want? One could argue that we are pointing out the foolishness of both stereotypes. Is that message clear? Does it serve us to make fun of the opposition or call them names? Does it advance the cause of justice?
Perhaps it is more helpful to get together in our support groups to voice our anger and get the frustrations out. Those would be appropriate settings for our jokes and comments as tools for venting. To advance our cause for justice as we take to the streets in protest, perhaps we would be better served to carry signs and shout slogans that state more about who we truly are and what we truly want. What do we want to present to the world as we protest? What will help create the change we want?
We need to speak our truth, tell our stories, and work for justice without adding to the fear or reinforcing the myths. While we work for equal rights, we need not tread on anyone else’s rights. Even if someone else has walked all over our rights, it does not give us the moral right to do the same to them or another group. The challenge in overcoming oppression is to not become the oppressor!