Camp Courage

Would you be willing to go door to door for the next issue of concern for LGBTQ (Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgendered/Queer) people, like what failed to materialize in the campaign to defeat Proposition 8? Scary thought, huh? What? Go out and talk to neighbors?? The same ones who proudly displayed "Yes on 8" in the front lawns??
I'll admit the thought frightens the heck out of me. I've been chased off a block before. We went knocking door to door because the City of Fresno said we needed to directly inform a block in town that their street was going to be used as a staging area for Fresno's first Gay Day Parade. Man, that was scary.
And later on we were out hanging banners along Olive Avenue that ballyhooed the coming of Fresno's Gay Day parade and the businesses along the way called the police on us, and yes, one came out and harassed us. At least it was only one cop.
But here is where the fun began. In the middle of the harassment, he was called to another "crime in progress" but warned us he was going to shut down out little banner hanging adventure. So we sped up hanging the banners. Working conditions got mighty unsafe, as we had to go up to each lamp post with a cherry picker. A whole team of queers was setting picker down and then had to scramble to pack up its legs to move it to the next post. It was like one continuous NASCAR pit crew, run by dykes and queens. Soon these teens happened upon us and started taunting us, leading one member of our crew to lose it. The episode was kind of surprising. I didn't expect things to get near physical blows between a big, burly old gay man and these scrawny teenage runts who figured they found something safe to do.
What I'm saying is... that kind of work requires courage, to go into a situation with an objective goal in mind, dealing with the whole cross section of the public, not knowing what's going to happen to you while out there. You'll meet jocks, gang bangers, rich girls, whites, blacks, Mexicans, Asians, elderly the whoever else in the world is out there. Most everybody will have never been once been asked to consider voting with us LGBTQ's. You show up at shopping malls and go door-to-door, approaching the vast world of humanity on a vote for a Gay Rights issue that's on their ballot. Most the time, people are civil and nice. But it still requires courage, and a little bit of righteous attitude. That's what it takes to be nice, just knowing you have a right to ask. They're voting. It's on the ballot. If you support us, here's what you will accomplish. If you support us, here's how you will help millions of Americans, including those who aren't gay, live better lives. Here's what a world with more equality means to you. To deliver that message, a TV ad won't work, a mailed flier won't work. It works a little, but not enough to push the cause over the top. Only real people talking to other real people works.
That's what Camp Courage is for. You sign up and they train you and then they send you into battle ... for hearts and minds of our fellow citizens.
Gay rights cannot be won by professional activists alone. Ordinary people have to become activists, too.