by Jessica Carreras
Phil Volk is the lead organizer for the Washtenaw County Democratic Party's LGBT Interest Group. A long-time Democratic activist, Volk is focusing his post-election energy on pushing important LGBT rights issues in Michigan.
1. Election season is over. What is on the top of the list now of the LGBT Interest Group of the Washtenaw County Democratic Party?
We have several projects going on right now, including a state-wide LGBT-Union Conference in May, helping other counties form LGBT Democrats groups like ours, developing an LGBT candidate and campaign workers workshop so that LGBT people can get more involved in the election processes and so that Michigan will have more LGBT candidates, and working on the Michigan Equality Initiative 2012, a comprehensive Michigan LGBT civil rights ballot initiative.
2. What do you do when you're not volunteering for LGBT-WCDP?
I volunteer in other areas of the Democratic Party. I chair the Michigan Democrats' Environment and Energy Caucus and lead the Washtenaw Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network, helping those living with HIV/AIDS.
I'm also one of the people leading the Washtenaw Anti-Bullying Program, a local project for social justice for all groups, including LGBT people, African-Americans, Latinos, women, people with disabilities, religious minorities and many others.
For fun, I love being with friends and family, hiking and camping, painting and writing poetry, and riding motorcycles. I enjoy spending time with my adopted son, his wife and my granddaughter, who is now 14 months old.
3. How did you get involved with politics and LGBT issues?
I started in politics during the '60s with the Bobby Kennedy for President Campaign, the anti-Vietnam war movement and the United Farmer Workers campaign.
I was also involved in the Gay Liberation Front in the '60s. Basically, I was an activist hippie. Since then I have been working for the labor movement, particularly within the Democratic party, also for the environment, and human rights issues.
Recently, I was ask to help develop a Michigan Democratic LGBT organization with three goals: helping the Democratic party better hear the needs of the LGBT community, getting more LGBT people involved in the electoral process and using the party's apparatus to better attain full LGBT civil rights in Michigan.
4. What are you most looking forward to in the near future as far as LGBT political issues go?
I look forward to taking all the local energy from the Obama campaign and focusing it to a movement for full LGBT civil rights in this state – the Michigan Equality Initiative 2012.
5. What LGBT issue is closest to your heart? Why?
It is important to me to ensure that every LGBT person and LGBT group has a place at the movement's leadership table to be heard, listened to and have their ideas equally evaluated for action. No matter if you are working class or white collar, rich or poor, leather or trans, everyone must be allowed at the LGBT leadership table.
To move this state from one of the worst places in the United States in terms of LGBT rights to the best is my ultimate goal.
