GetEQUAL members salute Sgt. Matlovich
GetEQUAL protests at White House
A new group, formed only this year, GetEQUAL is raising the ire of some in the LGBTQ community with their protest actions. Focus On The Rainbow blogger Lyndon Evans takes GetEQUAL to task for todays events. Calling the vigil at the gravesite a “photo-op” and a disgrace, Evans chastises Choi and GetEQUAL for staging “stunts”.
I can see the point about the “vigil”, and Evans may be right about that. A vigil the day before might have been a more appropriate action, with today’s protest as a followup. That said, GetEQUAL’s events have served to call media attention to the utter lack of real action by the President and the White House on repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Big talk, no walk is what many in the advocacy and activist communities see coming from the Obama administration. With the lame duck session of the Senate looking at a filibuster of the National Defense Authorization Act by Arizona Senator John McCain, the White House has been MIA on this issue. Some other national gay organizations have also seemed ineffective in advancing the repeal of DADT. Monday’s announcement by OutServe and KnightsOut that they would support the removal of DADT repeal from the NDAA further erodes the support needed to get it struck from the law. GetEQUAL‘s actions are in many ways the only real activism from the LGBT community occurring at a nationally visible level.
It’s easy for bloggers to sit back and criticize (or praise) others, but the actions of Lt. Choi, Robin McGehee, and 11 others are at the least an example of people fighting for what they believe to be right. Always non-violent, their civil disobedience is a clear sign to those who may have been sucked into the Washington Beltway mind-set of politics-as-usual, that there are still activists who will publicly stand for gay rights.
Kudos to GetEQUAL, Dan Choi, Robin McGehee, and the others who today stood again for what is right.
JimmieJoe 
Some not pleased with GetEQUAL’s tactics (via JimmieJoe.com) | Queer Visalia
Nov 15, 2010 @ 15:08:25
Some not pleased with GetEQUAL’s tactics (via JimmieJoe.com) | Queer Fresno
Nov 15, 2010 @ 15:10:13
Nov 16, 2010 @ 00:52:50
Just more childish publicity stunts from GetEQUAL. This latest stunt won’t change any Senators mind or create any public support for our equality. This childish idea that we can “embarrass, humiliate or irritate people into submission” is delusional. Protest and civil disobedience are for problems the pubic ISN’T aware of. 98% of America knows about our struggle. If we keep up this childish behavior we will lose more support.
This small band of paid activists is really just trying to get attention so they can raise money. They have salaries of $90,000 per year and have already wasted $700,000. For most of these “actions” they fly people in from other cities. They have never attracted more than 4 or 5 participants for their 11 stunts.
This latest stunt was ignored by the mainstream media and most of the LGBT media. People have figured out these childish stunts don’t help our community and only enrich a few self-described “activists.”
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Nov 16, 2010 @ 01:03:28
Thanks for the comments, but I have to disagree. “They have never attracted more than 4 or 5 participants for their 11 stunts” There are 13 people in the picture above. The pictures from Las Vegas show more than 4 or 5 people.
We need actions on many levels, from traditional “mainstream” organizations to guerrilla street actions. They all have their place. Playing “nice” alone and politely asking to be granted our rights hasn’t accomplished much. Political pressure comes from many levels.
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Nov 16, 2010 @ 23:53:36
First, thank you for your understanding and kind comments about Monday’s evetns. As you link to the post by Mr. Evans, I hope you won’t mind my reposting here the essence of my comment to him. In the absence of any evidence to the contrary, one must choose to believe that his respect for Leonard Matlovich is as genuine as his incontrovertible hostility to GetEQUAL is deep. If so, as Leonard’s roommate in DC and San Francisco, someone who knew him better than anyone for the last 13 years of his life, someone who was holding his hand when he died, was executor of his estate, the creator of the site Leonard Matlovich.com, and the creator of the In Memoriam video Mr. Evans posted, I thank him for the former. However, based on our friendship, I believe no one is better informed to determine what is or is not “disgrac[ing]” or “despicable display at his grave,” than I. The event was the exact opposite of his characterization, and any quibble about the use of the word “vigil” takes nothing away from that.
I have the full support of Leonard’s family for everything I do. While this event was not something I thought of, it well could have been as was the DADT protest/memorial there the day before the National Equality March last October. [In 1977, Leonard was the first to call for a gay march on Washington.] Dan Choi was among the speakers then, and was one of two gay veterans who placed a wreath on the grave that day, too. I was asked for input on yesterday’s event, and the few things I suggested were done. In addition, I was the first speaker. I am extremely grateful to GetEQUAL for reminding people that the continuing struggle to end the ban was started by Leonard, and I also participated with them later that day in the visit to Sen. Reid’s offices and the civil disobedience at the White House during which I held a copy of the cover of “Time” magazine Leonard appeared on. I guarantee you Leonard would have been honored by the presence of those gay veterans and civilians around his grave, and, were he not in the soil beneath their feet would have been by their side in Reid’s office, at the White House, AND in jail. Not only do I thoroughly trust GE’s sincerity, and believe that their actions have helped move our shared goals forward, their conception and actualization of these events were as good as any I’ve seen since the first protest I participated in more than four decades ago.
As for the comments by the ubiquitous coward “Andrew W,” my first thought is to ask why anyone should take seriously someone who attempts to smear others by name while hiding behind a phony nom de Net himself? Like dog s–t on a sidewalk, I’ve repeatedly stumbled across his sticky, smelly lies, as sloppy as they are transparent and ludicrous. You’ve already demolished his puerile assertion that, “They have never attracted more than 4 or 5 participants,” and, as noted, I was one of those 13. There were others who helped plan the event and were there, e.g., explaining to the crowd the background purposes of the protest.
Further, his “This latest stunt was ignored by the mainstream media and most of the LGBT media” is an accusation he’s made so often it’s become meaningless boiler plate; he just Copy/Pastes it into his latest anti-GE screed. Due to the drama of its setting and the arrests, the White House protest, as planned, understandably did dominate the coverage by both gay and mainstream media yesterday, but all three events were repeatedly mentioned. And the amount of coverage, contrary to his echolalic lie, was huge. When is the last time he was, e.g., on CNN, ABC, Fox, MSNBC, or written about by the “Washington Post”? While still handcuffed to the White House fence, I counted at least 25 MSM reporters allowed to stay after the Park Police forced everyone else to the opposite side of the street. And, BTW, no one paid me a salary to be there. Such a charge is an insult to everyone who participated, particularly those who were willing to go to jail as Leonard did himself from the same spot protesting Reagan’s indifference to AIDS a year before he became one of the tens of thousands already dying.
Note, I point these facts out without imagining that they might finally pull “Andrew W” [aka “Jenny Q,” et al., ad nauseum] out of his pathological state. I report them merely for the benefit of others who might believe his tireless nonsense. He always reminds me of an expression by the late Oscar Levant: “Out of the mouths of babes comes…….oatmeal.”
“We’ve got to organize. We must be very aggressive. We must go after those politicians who don’t support us and expose them as the bigots that they are.” – Leonard Matlovich.
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Nov 17, 2010 @ 07:30:04
You’re a classy guy Michael. Instead of providing some EVIDENCE that GetEQUAL has accomplished ANYTHING, you just insult others. Funny, that’s the same strategy as GetEQUAL.
This group has wasted $700,000 that could have been put to use by many well-meaning LGBT organizations. They’ve wasted $500,000 just on their own “salaries” and we’ve been treated to 12 publicity stunts – about one per month. NOTHING they have done has changed any minds or garnered any support – they have simply pissed on people and childishly believe that is effective. The latest “handcuff” stunt did NOT get mainstream coverage. Only one-third of the LGBT media covers their stunts. The majority of the comments are asking them to go away.
Nearly 60% of online comments are posted anonymously. It is the “content” of those comments that matters. So instead of your vulgar insults, maybe you can reply to the content of my comments. Plus, given your behavior and that of your friends at GetEQUAL, you might hunt someone down and hold them hostage or bomb their home. I don’t know if you people have weapons.
GetEQUAL is our very own Westboro Baptist Clan – they are seeking attention in order to raise MONEY, not AWARENESS. If you enjoy being embarrassed by childish “street theater,” give them a donation – but, understand they’re are delaying our equality.
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Nov 17, 2010 @ 10:00:02
Thanks to Michael and his heartfelt comment and explanation of what transpired on Monday.
In Micheal’s comment on the posting at Focus On The Rainbow I responded in regards to my commentary and why I wrote the posting and also why my opinion hasn’t changed.
Thanks also to Jim for doing this posting and linking to my post.
If nothing else this should bring debate both pro and con in regards to GetEqual.
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Nov 18, 2010 @ 19:48:09
I support GetEQUAL 100%. They DO attract crowds and they DO get publiciy. Not every event is going to be a blockbuster, but the cumulative effort does have an effect. As has been said above we need to work at all levels to move towards our goals. Sometimes the work is quiet and behind the scenes; and sometimes we need to get out and rattle a few cages. GetEqual has been providing some much needed cage-rattling as of late.
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