Cross-posted at Our Own Online Hampton Roads

For a nation that, as Lincoln said, was “conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal”, the United States has a long history of its people having to fight for equality. The goal of our Constitution, to create “a more perfect union”, is one we’ve had to work hard toward, in every generation, especially as it applies to the individual rights, liberties, and privileges of citizens of our nation, the United States of America.

From generation to generation, we can see the evolution of society within the nation. We once institutionalized the slavery of Africans to work in our fields, and then set them free. We once muffled the voices of women by excluding them from the ballot box, and then gave them the right to vote. We once separated ourselves based on the color of our skin, and then tore down those walls of segregation. It’s easy to look back on the statements and writings of our politicians and judges throughout history to find horrific examples of the ignorance, bigotry, and outright hate that formed the environment from which today’s society has emerged. It’s all too clear that our nation did not fully accept that all men were created equal with the flourish of Jefferson’s quill; and while we are much closer to this ideal today than we were then, there is still much to do.

Looking back on the struggle for equality in America, we also find that successful movements to gain equality required more than the activism of those being oppressed. Successful campaigns for equality created allies outside the minority group, strengthening the campaign by not only adding numbers to the activist rolls, but also creating an inclusive dialog where people felt that granting equality was not only beneficial to the minority, it was best for society as a whole. Progressive campaigns are won through the building of these coalitions. Slavery became an evil within our society as the mistreatment of slaves was made clear. Women’s suffrage would not have become a reality without the convincing of men who held the right to vote, hold office, and serve on the courts, that women should have the right to vote as well. The importance of white activists who marched with Dr. King and fought racism and segregation should be understated. Even more close to home is the example of Harvey Milk, who was able to rally not only the gay community but also straight allies to become the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California.

Even more recently, we saw how the building of a progressive coalition was successful in politics. Without such a coalition, President Obama would not have won the presidency. The necessity of building a coalition of progressives, regardless of race and socioeconomic status, was extremely important for this Community Organizer from black Chicago. It was a lesson he learned after a failed campaign for the House of Representatives in 2000, and a lesson that powered him into the Senate and then into the White House later. Having volunteered during President Obama’s primary and general presidential campaign, I can attest to the power of having people from diverse backgrounds working together for a common cause. Without this coalition, Barack Obama would never have been our President.

The GLBT community in Virginia needs to build a coalition, pulling in people from all backgrounds. Willing gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgendered, and straight people from around the commonwealth need to come together for the common goal of promoting equality for all people, regardless of their sexuality. Doing this requires an inclusive message, arguments for equality that anyone can become passionate about. Building a coalition also requires exposing the general public to the realities of what it means to be GLBT. People need to have a connection to the lives of those who are not treated equally under the law. They need to see the strength of committed relationships struggling to exist under current laws, and they need to feel the need to contribute toward the changing of those laws. It needs to become more than a concept to people. It needs to become personal.

Now that we understand the need to build a coalition to work toward equality for the GLBT community, we now need to consider how we build this coalition. In many ways, building a coalition for equality regardless of sexuality is more difficult than the building of coalitions in the past. For an industrialized nation, the culture of the United States is not one that talks about sex openly; and GLBT issues bring sex and sexuality to the forefront when discussed. There is a discomfort that needs to be overcome. For many organizations working toward GLBT rights, sexuality is downplayed. For others, sexuality is overplayed. What the community as a whole needs to remember is that a coalition can not be built on a foundation of differences. We must focus on what unites, and not what divides.

We can start building this essential coalition today by sharing what equality means to us personally with our friends and our family. Then we need to ask for their support. We need to ask for them to become activists. We need them to be advocates for us to their friends and other family members. It’s only then that GLBT equality becomes a personal issue for our friends and family, and their friends and their family, and any hope of a building a winning coalition can exist.

Related posts:

1. Reflecting on the National Equality March
2. Get Involved: Declaration of Independence GLBT Demonstration
3. Edmonson reaches out to GLBT community
4. Gay marriage, equality, politics, and religion
5. Pictures from the National Equality March 2009