Waking up in the year of the rooster

There are many things that can be said about 2004 – and not all of them in polite company.
It was definitely a year for the LGBT history books. We won’t rehash it here. Instead we will say, to quote the song by The Carpenters, “We’ve only just begun.”
2004 was the year of the monkey – and it featured plenty of fooling around with the lives of LGBT people and our families by right-wing political and religious leaders.
2005, however, is the year of the rooster – and it’s time for everyone in our community to get involved and active. In other words: WAKE UP.
The outcome of the 2004 election shook a lot of folks up and led to a flurry of organizing and strategizing by LGBT community leaders across the country. In Michigan we have Fair Michigan Majority keeping the momentum from the campaign against Proposal 2 moving forward. The campaign may be over, but the work of those who wish to harm our families and deny us rights is never done. Neither is ours.
One way you can get involved is by attending the Jan. 13 town hall at Wayne State University: “From Anger to Action,” a panel discussion with LGBT community leaders on how to expand support for our community among the community at large. For more info see page 10 in this issue.
Building bridges between the LGBT community and potential allies is essential, as the 2004 election demonstrated. In this issue of BTL we launch “Reach Out,” a new feature intended to give those in our community a chance to interact with organizations, people, and causes that aren’t LGBT specific, but fit in with our movement’s driving force – human rights for everyone.
We are also debuting “Creep of the Week,” a spotlight on an anti-LGBT public figure. Those who wish to harm our families should not be able to act anonymously; and knowing the opposition is, after all, part of the fight.
One of the brights spots of the November election was the re-election of openly gay Representative Chris Kolb. BTL checks in with him on what’s going on in Lansing and where he thinks we’re headed.
We want to know what you think. We encourage your letters and viewpoints. Let us know what you think of our new features, what you’d like to see in the future, and how we can better serve Michigan’s LGBT community. This issue also includes the new Raves N Rants ballot. Fill it out and send it in.
There will be many opportunities to get involved and get active, and we encourage you to read BTL and communicate with your local LGBT organizations and groups to stay informed.