BTL Editorial: Where do we go from here?

The LGBT community in southeastern Michigan faces daunting challenges. The recent election seated one of the most unsupportive state legislatures in the country, and our Supreme Court has shifted back to a Republican majority. There are glimmers of hope that Governor-elect Rick Snyder will not be a negative force against the LGBT community, but it is unlikely he will be a champion.
At this time when we should be reacting with a strong, collective LGBT voice, our two largest LGBT organizations, Affirmations and Equality Michigan, are both without permanent executive directors. Both organizations have floundered in recent years, with no clear accomplishments or visible signs of effective grassroots leadership. Some have called for a merger of these two organizations, arguing that combining two weakened agencies into a stronger one will allow for economies of scale, reduced overhead and a larger base from which to work. Leaders of both agencies should be willing to at least visit the idea.
In our opinion, the organizational structure is secondary to results. We need to see effective political action in Michigan for LGBT rights, and we need an efficient and effective means of mobilizing large numbers of LGBT people to march, lobby, volunteer, donate, write letters and op-eds, call elected officials and fundraise.
BTL does not have a vested interest in seeing these two agencies merge or not, but we do have a strong interest in seeing our largest agencies work in concert and maximize the impact of precious and scarce resources.
We call on the leaders of both agencies to listen to the frustration of the many stakeholders – volunteers, donors, staff, board members both past and present, and clients. For years, our community has tried to support these organizations and for years we have been disappointed, watching as our agencies have succumbed to personality conflicts, turf wars, endless planning sessions, and financial woes that have paralyzed program development. We believe there is a cause and effect happening here: Donors have become exhausted supporting organizations that they feel are ineffective. The call to merge is an expression of that frustration.
Now is the perfect time for the groups' leaders to reach out and listen, because we think they may be surprised by the level of concern and willingness to help. Equality Michigan and Affirmations are two of our most important LGBT institutions. No one wants to see them fail, but patience will run out unless there is some positive movement soon.
Can Affirmations use volunteers to restore some of the hours that were recently cut at the Center? Can Equality Michigan utilize the power of numbers by collaborating with Affirmations, Ruth Ellis, Kick and every other group to mobilize the grassroots? Can our organizations create a powerful LGBT voice in Lansing?
These questions have to be answered, whether Affirmations and Equality Michigan merge or not. We can look at other organizational models such as OutFront Minnesota, which is a combined community center/political group. OutFront Minnesota's mission is to make the state a place where GLBT Minnesotans have the freedom, power, and confidence to make the best choices for their own lives.
Sounds good to us.