A personal account from the LGBT Leadership Summit in San Bernadino, CA
Ingredients:
200 passionate people packed shoulder to shoulder
1 agenda that’s heavy on expert presentations and light on opportunities for the audience to speak
1 moderator who’s been instructed to seek consensus
1 meeting room with overburdened air conditioning, poor acoustics, and impossible sight lines
Season with technical difficulties
Combine ingredients and cook for 7 hours at 85 degrees.
Welcome to the California movement to regain Marriage Equality. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, doesn’t it?
Oddly enough, at least in my opinion, it was far from a disaster last Saturday. True, there was absolutely no consensus to be found – even over whether the group should take a break for lunch.
Also true, the vote was a virtual tie on how to proceed in organizing for a return to the polls: convention model or coalition of the willing.
But allow me to digress for a moment. The major conflict in the room was between those groups that felt it imperative that the community go back to the ballot in 2010 to repeal Prop 8 and those groups that feel it is better to wait until 2012 or later. Numerous blogs and letters have been circulating in the California LGBT community in recent weeks advocating one of these positions – and the rhetoric has led many to worry that infighting will sink the cause before it gets started.
But when the time came for both camps to present their perspectives, a wonderful and strange thing happened. With only a single exception, the audience listened with respect. The questions were thoughtful and intelligent. There was no name-calling, arguing, or disrespect! Wow.
The important point was that both camps want to achieve the same thing: a lasting change in the way LGBT people are viewed in California. The 2012 group said they want to do that by canvassing and talking to enough people that Marriage Equality is supported by more than a simple majority – especially in the communities of color. The 2010 group (and I have to disclose that I’m part of that group) said that the way to communicate to California the importance of full equality is to go back to the polls as soon as possible and keep fighting until it is won.
In the end, the straw poll in the room was 93 for 2010, 49 for 2012, and 20 undecided. The coalition of the willing (aka 2010 group) is moving forward to make 2010 a reality. But, the 2012 group is also moving forward – continuing to canvass, having those conversations that are crucial to winning Marriage Equality whenever the measure goes to the polls.
Not disaster, not consensus, but cooperation; which could be more important.
Together, we can.