By Sean Kosofsky
Moving past pride
Greetings! This column is the first in a journey I am taking as a writer, political commentator and pundit. My column will appear regularly and will serve as a venue for a young queer voice to discuss the crazy complexities of politics and government on the local, state and federal level.
Please send in questions about the topics I cover. I will try to answer all questions and bring a unique perspective that is clear and, hopefully, provocative.
In a country where many young people have strong opinions about the world, but aren't very visible as leaders, I have tried to chart a course and a vision for our movement that is bold, relevant and filled with potential. It is young people who will be leading our community through the next stages of victories and transformations. As our community matures in its political sophistication our issues will change. With the rapidly changing society in which we live, the GLBT community will continue its struggle for visibility and equality but demand more from our policy makers and opinion leaders.
I am a political animal. I am fascinated with the way power works. I want to help bridge the difference between how our text books teach us about government and how we know things actually work. If anyone can shake up the system and redefine the terms of the debate it is the GLBT community. We have helped the larger society see that gender, sexuality, families and religion can be stretched, pushed, pulled, turned inside out and ultimately survive – and be stronger and better for it.
Our community has survived for millennia through subtlety, nuance, and discretion. No more. Our creative potential has not yet been fully realized, let alone appreciated. This column will hopefully show members of our community that "pride" is a concept that is important, but ultimately not enough. We are ready for much more than pride. We need to be confident, resolute and tenacious. We should talk about things the way they should be without wavering or thinking twice. We should state things we know to be true as if they are fact and not just opinion. We should speak with one voice in terms of oppression, honesty, violence and discrimination.
My favorite quote from Frederick Douglass is, "Power concedes nothing without a demand." We will not get what we want, in any context, if we do not act like it is ours in the first place. Just being queer in the United States in 2005 makes you political. Making love to someone of the same-sex is a political act. It is crazy that such a natural and normal instinct is so radical or threatening to others. It is crazy that it should matter. But it should speak volumes to us that private adult behavior behind closed doors still causes some people to gasp in horror. That craziness is the reality in which we live. Our victories in the next few years will be on the local level. Stay tuned and turn to this column for my perspective. Thanks.
