Pleading not guilty to charges of “unlawful entry/remaining,” the ENDA 4 — made up of Chastity Kirven, Jay Carmona, Michelle Wright, and Samantha Ames — who refused to leave House Speaker Nancy Pelosi‘s Capitol Hill offices, were yesterday sentenced to community service and ordered to stay away from Pelosi’s offices and not break any laws over the next six months. We’re guessing that includes storming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s offices?
crime file
ENDA 4 Sentenced to Stay the Hell Away From Nancy Pelosi
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AndrewW
Good publicity stunt for GetEqual, but not helpful for our Movement. Thankfully, this childish stunt didn’t get much attention. Complaining or demanding is not a strategy.
In order for GetEqual to raise money (they are currently soliciting) they will need to explain HOW these stunts help us.
Anyone can inconvenience Pelosi or shout in the streets that they’re “mad,” but exactly how does that build support for our equality?
The failure to answer these important questions will lead to eyt another failure – similar to JoinTheImpact, EqualityNetwork and EqualityAcrossAmerica – all of which never received any support.
Explain, don’t complain.
Cam
Andrew, your questions are also questions that you have been asked on here. You have said that HRC’s lobbying strategy doesn’t work (I’m in agreement,) you’ve said that marches or vicil actions such as these don’t work. My question to you. how would you do it?
AndrewW
@Cam: Thanks, Cam.
1. Embrace accountability for all tactics, strategies and organizations.
2. Figure out how to win. Clearly, having the majority of our fellow citizens joining us and standing for equality would WIN.
3. Enroll fellow citizens by ASKING them to join us and to support our full equality. Two-thirds of Americans support equality.
4. Create a mechanism for determining what percentage of Americans support our equality for all 50 States, recognizing that some States (11 of them) will not have majority support for LGBT equality, yet.
5. Make contributions to the cultural conversation that create a better understanding of the LGBT Community AND inspire people to support us.
Some of this has already begun.
I am still encouraging anyone that has a commitment to our movement to provide ideas and tactics that accomplish 1-5 above.
We must honestly and objectively analyze our tactics, methods, strategies and organizations. If GetEqual’s publicity stunts are helpful, they have a responsibility to explain “how.” We need people to join us – complaining doesn’t work.
DEREK WASHINGTON
@ANDREWW: You left the same message on Towleroad which tells me you have an agenda against Get Equal.
These people are ACTIVISTS. They have studied some of the masters of political theater including Rosa Parks and ACT UP. They woke Nancy and others up to the fact that Gay Inc can’t control the LGBT community like they have been swearing they could.
Bravo to the ENDA4!
Bravo GET EQUAL!
rudy
It’s always easier to sit on the sidelines and criticize.
Political action is messy – just like democracy.
AndrewW
@DEREK WASHINGTON: If you want to see more of these childish publicity stunts, please provide evidence that they are effective.
Comparing them to Rosa Parks is ridiculous. Let me know if you find a bus company that segregates or discriminates against gays. Or our very own “gay” water fountains.
The world has changed in the last 40 years. I know you want to wear the badge of “activist” because you’ve romanticized the idea of civil disobedience, but we need accountability within our struggling movement.
If you think public displays of anger or frustration inspires anyone to join us and support our equality, please connect the dots – tell us how these stunts help. Remember, it’s 2010.