Comments on: Ruby-Sachs: Comment on Day Without a Gay

By: Trace

Trace — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:57:18 +0000

Sean, absolutely brilliant idea. Now that would have been something to do! Had it just been a Gays Out To Lunch Demonstration in cities across the country, I’m betting that this would have been more successful. People could come out in force and quite possibly take a long lunch. I think that most everyone would have agreed to that.

By: xoxox

xoxox — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 20:11:53 +0000

My employer asked me if I wanted to take the day off for the protest. I told him that this protest is so ill conceived and so moronic that I told no intention whatsoever of participating.

By: Robert the Pacifist

Robert the Pacifist — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 18:18:58 +0000

I can’t believe somebody would say it’s ‘too bad’ that people are pacifists. Just 5 years ago sodomy was against the law, now look how far history has progressed. California’s gay marriage struggle is important, but at the end of the day they are fighting for the equality of the word marriage. A word. Yes, yes, I know people are going to freak out when they read that.

In the vast majority of states, gay people have nearly nothing or absolutely nothing. No domestic partnerships, no right to adopt, no visitation rights, no right to even stay employed if they are outed at work. Being a pacifist is the only option in these areas, since a couple of people cannot stand up to the other 92% of residents there. Depressingly, this is the majority of the USA.

By: Jen Marcus

Jen Marcus — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:27:49 +0000

If we seriously no longer want to remain second class citizens and our human rights really mean anything to us, we need to get more militant, or we will not be taken seriously and listened too by the “establishment” and its institutions At the minimum, “we need to hurt them where it will hurt them the most, and that is in their pocket books!” Because of the present economic crisis and its consequential dearth of employment opportunities, you may have to go to work today “for the man ,” but I submit to you BOYCOTT the system and make NO PURCHASES of any kind, unless it is an absolute emergency! And as for the future, make it a point NOT to patronize any business establishment, or religious and/or secular institution that is philosophically adverse too, or works against our very existence and rights either directly or indirectly. That means “WE,” the LGBT Community, better start doing our homework before we work, shop, pray and drop while we continue living in this adverse system, we call “America Inc.! “

By: Sean

Sean — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:19:20 +0000

Bob –

I am not just saying “I’m gay get used to it” and then doing nothing. I am also not following our current self-proclaimed leadership either. I protested in November and actually played a roll in running the protest in my city. However, future protests have to make sense and make an impact that is meaningful. Today’s protest should have been encouraged to be a rally at 12 noon maybe in a location in every city and that could have allowed people to work two weeks before Xmas and provided a media opportunity to showcase.

By: Bob

Bob — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:49:12 +0000

Give me a break. Playing nice, and saying meekly “I am here and I am gay” has not been working.

I remember in the 80s and seeing Act Up in the news, with that picture of the activist crumbling the communion wafer in front of the priest. I thought that was going too far. Time and experience has taught me that I was wrong and Act Up was right. We need to be seen. It is unfortunate that too many of us are pacifists.

Too many of us act like “ooh, if I just hope for it hard enough society will accept us” and “society will eventually give us marriage”. I call BS. We must demand equality. We must demand it now. We must demand it loudly. We must demand it with force. The time to meekly ask has come and gone. What has it gotten us? Proposition H8 is what we got.

Bill Clinton was the only presidential candidate that actively courted the gay vote. What did he do when he got into office? He threw us under the proverbial bus. If our political “friends” would do that to us and we have no political friends in Washington today we must take drastic action.

By: Bob

Bob — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:36:42 +0000

The problem with gays and lesbians is that too few of us will participate in anything. Too many people feel safe huddled in the back of their closet. Oh, I can’t participate because…I need to make more money…I have class…my employer might get upset…it won’t matter…I have to get my hair done…we already have gay marriage in my state…I have to go find my next trick…blah…blah…blah

If your employer would get upset if you participate, then I feel sorry for you. You must really hate yourself to be willing to work for a company that hates you.

If you think your participation won’t make a difference, just imagine if every gay person in the U.S. could just get together one time and participate it would force everyone else to take notice. It takes everyone.

GLBT issues will never be taken seriously by the rest of society as long as there are so many GLBT people who don’t take our issues serious. Trust me, those who would vilify us and want to keep us down are organized. Their message gets through. Just this once, let our message get through.

By: beargulch

beargulch — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:27:27 +0000

I think this idea comes from good intentions, but it’s inane and ineffective. If you’re out you probably work for a gay-supportive employer, so you’re probably just hurting someone who supports you while risking your job. If you’re not out or you work for an employer who is hostile to gays, you’re probably not intending to come out this way. When the day is over and nobody notices we were missing, what will that say?

By: Sean

Sean — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:27:19 +0000

Today is one where its hard to make a choice. We all have responsibilities. We have jobs. Some of us have children. Some of us have a union/marriage with another. Some of us only have ourselves. And we live everywhere. What is hard in this time of economic volitility is to set this all aside for one day off which many of us in the end will charge vacation time for anyway. Today, I am observing the economic boycott of the Day Without Gay because I value what my job provides to my family and that my paycheck for today will go half to bills and half to paying for our wedding next Fall. So in honor of that I am not spending money on anything today. But I cannot shirk a responsibility that is a value I was raised with. My company has a non-discrimination policy. My company would allow my partner to be on my benefits if we wanted it. My state protects gays in the workplace. However, what we really need to emphasize today is that we are here in the office and will not hide our lives from the chatter around the water cooler. We need to turn to our cubemates and talk about our partners or reveal a peace of ourselves today. It is by revealing and not just protesting that we will ever pierce the hard coating of denial that many straights have in this country. Those in the middle part of the nation should call their HR departments and ask about sexual orientation being added to the company discrimination policy. Bond with your fellow gay coworkers today and set up monthly lunches to emphasize our uniqueness in the workplace. Pack a lunch for your boyfriend, partner, husband, wife, or significant other. Reveal yourself today, don’t hide.

By: GrrrlRomeo

GrrrlRomeo — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 11:33:26 +0000

You guys living in those gay friendly bubbles who actually can take the day off without getting fired, but aren’t…yeah, thanks for nothing. I don’t know why the hell I stick up for you. Solidarity is an illusion. Enjoy your privileges.

Because of the media coverage, my employer found out about it and preemptively told me I couldn’t do it. Since I can be fired for being gay in my state, I don’t have the choice that some of you have. But, y’all don’t give a crap, do you?