By Pepper Partin from EXP magazine

Print Version

Indianapolis, January 23, 2005-- I have, for the most, avoided political angles in my column because I do have the thought that I am preaching to the choir. I typically save GLBT-rights issues for more mainstream publications where I have a greater chance of reaching heterosexuals. But right now I am going to have to throw that philosophy out the window - or at least for the time being.

Everyone: it is time to wake up! We can no longer afford the apathy that seems to exist in our community. What is happening in our State House affects us all. So even if you are not politically inclined, you MUST wake up and pay attention and get involved. And here's why:

These are scary times in this country. And we can no longer say that what is happening is out there in other areas- affecting other people. In the state of Indiana witch hunts abound. But the main difference between the witch hunts of the 17th century and what is happening in 2005 is that no one is being burned on stakes. So we have evolved a little.

Unless most of you have been hibernating and staying away from any sort of news, you will know that the lawmakers in Indiana have it out for the GLBT community. Not only did an Indiana appellate court strike down a right-to-marry suit brought about by the Indiana Civil Liberties on behalf of 3 couples, but Senator Brant Hershman (R-Wheatfield) filed a bill that will ban same sex marriage in Indiana (Senate Joint Resolution 7).

The discriminatory bill will likely move through the bureaucratic (for which we pay with our tax dollars) process and be thrown out to voters in 2008. Hershman and the bill have a lot of support and the word on the street is that killing the bill will be like the proverbial ant trying to move a rubber tree plant. I don't know about you folks, but it is bad enough that our lawmakers are pro-actively seeking to discriminate against us, but I certainly don't have enough faith in the citizens of Indiana to vote the amendment down.

I have racked my brain trying to figure out why there seems to be so much apathy in our community; why we are so inclined to leave the fight to a few lobbyists and activists who are willing to stick their necks out. Is it because we are not YET being denied a seat at the lunch counter? Or we are not being sent to the back of the bus? Is it because the things are happening are not affecting our day-to-day lives insofar as getting to work or eating? Perhaps it seems futile? Whatever it is we need to change it. Our civil rights will not be garnered by a handful of people fighting the religious right machine all the while trying to keep our allies happy so they do not turn on us, throw in the towel and join the effort against civil rights for homosexuals. It is obvious that a handful of people cannot do it alone.

Did I mention that the religious right is a machine? It is a big fat machine with money and glazed-over, cult-like followers who truly believe that homosexuals are threatening their lives in some way. Where is our machine? It certainly seems that they want their discrimination more than we want our rights. Think about that. I am hoping that we can change this mentality and soon. We need to get pissed off - constructively - but pissed off!

A grassroots effort is underway to kill this amendment. It will be a long road, but we all know that we have to fight battles to win the war. The first step will be to hold a counter demonstration against Eric Miller's pro marriage rally at the Indiana State House on March 8th. Eric Miller is the founder of Advance America - a group that deems itself the largest pro-family, pro-church, pro-private and home school, and pro-tax reform organization in the state of Indiana. His pro marriage rally will focus on banning same sex marriage and civil unions. For more information on Advance America and the pro marriage rally at the State House, visit www.advanceamerica.com/. More information about the GLBT-community counter demonstration will follow. So watch your listservs; read your local GLBT publications; watch my column for details. But mark this day on your calendar and plan to be there.

What I think people need to understand here is that the issue is not all about marriage. It is about our lawmakers telling us that we are second class citizens undeserving of the same rights as heterosexuals. The Hershman bill may be worded as such that it will give people of Indiana the right to discriminate in a more broad way - such as with employment. So if you don't care a hill of beans about the right to marry, you absolutely need to be concerned about discrimination in other ways. Listen, if we are legally classed at a lower level than our heterosexual counterparts, can other forms of discrimination be far behind? Does anyone remember the Holocaust? Are we aware of genocide? So as I mentioned earlier, we have evolved, but how far have we really come if this kind of sweeping discrimination at a local and national level can happen in 2005? In our recent history there was the segregation of blacks and whites. Don't we realize that the government is telling us that we should be denied a seat at the lunch counter and that we should sit at the back of the bus?

Take it to the streets on March 8th as a way to fight for your rights. Bring your family, friends, neighbors and your children. The demonstration will be peaceful - maybe even completely silent. But the idea is to get out there and show the people of this state that we can mobilize; that we will fight; and that we will not tolerate discrimination!