> Hi Tom, > > Just thinking, however correct all of the boycott points are, if we have a > small showing, the radical right will say that we don't exist. And if we > protest against each other, it just fragments us and causes our enemies to > get stronger.The radical right can't possibly claim we don't exist... they fundraise based on the claims that we not only exist, but we are a threat. Now, I'm not suggesting that we go into the closet so that we aren't a target, in fact, the opposite is true. However, whether 500 people or 500,000 people show up we'll still get 2 minutes on the evening news.
I do agree that a failed march will hurt the movement. And that's what's happening.
That is why 2 years ago the Ad Hoc Committee for an Open Process tried to tell HRC that the way to have a successful march is to get the grassroots involved, and that means listening to them and doing things like having open meetings, racial parity, and not selling out to corporate sponsorship. By getting everyone involved, you build up a small workforce in every town in every state. And best of all, when the march is over those people don't stop volunteering. They go on to start new organizations, open community centers, and run for political office. (I pick those 3 examples because I can point to real examples of them right here in New Jersey).
Many of the MMOW events right now are in jeapardy of failing. (Some of the events will be cancelled in the coming weeks) I hate to think that if 2 years ago HRC had listened to the Ad Hoc Committee things would be different.
The boycott is really a day late and a dollar short. However, after the march fails, hopefully nobody will try to have a "Sponsored By United Airlines" political march in D.C. again.
Imagine if Martin Luther King's march on D.C. had "SPONSORED BY UNITED AIRLINES" all over it. How would the history books record it?
Now get this: You and I know that NJ organizations are particularly careful with their membership lists, right? The sponsorship contracts haven't been made public to anyone outside of the board and their staff, and there are serious questions about what kind of demographic and personal information the sponsors will be givin access to.
> And if we > protest against each other, it just fragments us and causes our enemies to > get stronger.I don't think this changings the fragmentation. The g/l community is already in a HRC vs. everone-but-HRC division. This is the icing on the HRC cake. It will make or break them, or they'll learn from it.
I tried to make this point in 1992 when I talked with Elizabeth Birch. She "yes"ed me to death, saying that the secret to a successful movement is to embrace the grassroots. It was all BS then and she's made a career of pissing on the grassroots ever since (well, not that when I talked with her was some kind of pivitol moment in the GLBT movement or anything).
I've tried to capture my thoughts on my http://whatexit.org/tal/boycottmom web pages but its in dribs and drabs. I think the http://www.foranopenprocess.org web site has done a better job of stating things concicely. The leaders of all the past marches have joined Open Process and some of them have written excellent letters explaining why MMOW is a mistake.
Billy Hileman, the co-chair of MOW'93 wrote this:
http://www.foranopenprocess.org/astroturf-organizing-f.html
As I've said before, I'll be at the march. If HRC can coopt a march to benefit themselves, I feel its find for me to coopt the march to publicize the bi groups that I'm involved with.
--tal