PROTESTING NATIONALLY: Things You Can Do and "The Rules of Engagement"

The most important thing we can do nationally on the issue of equal rights for LGBT people is the following:

1)   Stay in the news.  On national tv, press, radio and print.

2)  Stop in-fighting.

A friend of mine yesterday said this:  "This is why the left never gets anything done, because they eat themselves alive fighting amongst themselves.

Differences allow a fertile ground for conversation, deconstruction and forward movement, so let's try to keep it that way.  We have to keep it this way.

There are national protests being planned as we speak. The key will be to pick one day where everyone, everywhere can do this at the same time.  If you are able to organize even twenty people in your city or town - that should be the plan.  I will keep you posted on national days where everyone will do this.  With large turn outs in the gay community in major cities, every small town can partake and be heard even with small assemblies.

Get on and stay on myspace, facebook, twitter and youtube.  This is how we are all talking to each other and we can go viral to hundreds of thousands of people - if not millions - in just a few hours across the country if we all just spread news.

I'm a little in love right now with smaller community groups that are forming, and rallying from other company or professional groups -  Like LGBT groups at major companies, and smaller coalitions forming for specific groups of people or neighborhoods.  With the internet, every small group and major group is connected and we can all work as a unit.

BE CAREFUL.   I don't think we had a choice in taking the streets to protest because the collective rage was too great, but all this press is going to spur some anti-gay sentiment and this can get dangerous for any of us in our daily lives when that spreads to violent, small minded people.  Be out and proud, but watch your back.

So far, with all the protests in California, the only people who have suffered attacks and injuries are us.  Let's remain positive and non violent and curb our angry rhetoric away from other people.  Let's just show 'em how to be love and be accepting.   And watch our backs.  If you're in a gay neighborhood, walk with a buddy (preferably a lesbian trained in martial arts) to your car if it's late or deserted.