Activist Tom Lang of KnowThyNeighbor Sets The Record Straight, Exposing What
MassEquality Is Capable Of And Begging The Question, "Can MassEquality Really Be Trusted To Serve The Entire Massachusetts LGBT Community?" Part One
True Leaders Lead, they don't hire consultants to tell them whether or not they should... KnowThyNeighbor is going on record asking the LGBT Community to think seriously about the continuation of MassEquality and its players as an intact organization.
Has our community been well-served during the slash-and-burn mentality over the fight for Marriage Equality? Have the needs of ALL aspects of our community been met during the last four years--from minority issues to trans issues to hate crimes to schools, etc.? Have MassEquality-loyal legislators shown leadership in other areas outside of marriage equality and can they be trusted to be open and understand the needs of our entire community? Have smaller LGBT organizations been given a voice within MassEquality? Will those organizations which suffered financially and with dwindling membership under the "rule" of MassEquality and the marriage fight be able to continue or resurrect themselves? Is there a place in Massachusetts for grassroots activists if MassEquality is allowed to exist as it has and is given the power to define what the LGBT community means to it? Does MassEquality understand what the LGBT Community is?
These and more are very serious questions that we need to discuss before we, the LGBT Community, allow ourselves to be told what will become of US by MassEquality and its Board.
It is my opinion that the MassEquality "leadership" and staff have already determined what it wants to do. Everything from the World Cafe Forum last Monday (which I attended) to the MassEquality Celebration Party (already announced for December), which by the way is "right after" the Board's decision, are part of a calculated PR campaign hoping to ease the LGBT community into acceptance without criticism. The best to date has been the plea email from Marc Solomon and David Wilson for volunteers of "people of color" which is an obvious admittal to the fact that the marriage issue has neglected a large part of our community and that MassEquality failed to reach out to ALL the LGBT. The email reads, "become a leader of equality in the Black community and learn to engage members of your community in positive ways around marriage equality and sexual orientation." But it gets better, this email goes onto say "Please help us reach out to more people, particularly those who have not previously been engaged with this issue, by forwarding this email to anyone you know who may be interested."
I think MassEquality is being way to hard on itself regarding reaching out to minorities...wasn't one of those sexy, "gay" mannequins removed from the Macy's window back in Pride 2006 African-American? MassEquality got heavily involved in that issue and doesn't that count for something? If we had only seen such a response from MassEquality during the Puzzle's Lounge Hate Crime in New Bedford...
KnowThyNeighbor is extending an invitation to leaders of other LGBT organizations, activists, concerned LGBT, concerned minorities and straight allies to stand up and be heard via the KTN blog. You are emailing and calling me, but I look for you to take a forthright stand. I ask you to be frank and tell the public your concerns about MassEquality. Hopefully, a true picture of the LGBT Community will emerge. And maybe "someone" may just learn something...
Email your Op-Eds to me at [email protected]
Tom Lang, Director