I want to thank each of you for the incredible fight you made against Issue One which passed on Tuesday. Here at Stonewall Columbus we are hearing from hundreds of people in shock and grieving our rights being stripped from the GLBT community. As I speak with people who describe their inability to think, feel or even talk right now, I want each of you to know that you are NOT alone.
We have suffered a great rejection by the people of Ohio primarily because they did not understand and we didn’t the time to educate them. But there are many positive aspects that we can cling to from Tuesday. First, in six weeks we were able to build a cross-the-board coalition against Issue One that the state of Ohio has never seen before on ANY issue. Because the amendment was so vicious, it has given us a mechanism for maintaining a dialogue on gay rights that some of the other states don’t have because their fight was simply about the definition. WE are the people with the mandate to fight for the moral fabric of our country.
But saying all of this, there is another important reason for us to come out even stronger for the fight and that is for the GLBT and straight youth in our country. We owe it to ourselves to fight but I refuse to stand by and allow our youth to watch hate, intolerance and greed be rewarded. We must fight so our youth can see that equality and the pursuit of happiness ARE the democratic principles of our country. We have to fight so they learn the importance of fighting and to not accept the ugliness used to win Issue One. We must all stand up again and continue the fight with even more vigor. Our opponents need to know that we WILL NOT give up. Heal yourself, keep your anger, stand-up on your hope and be lifted up for our next battle.
Stonewall Columbus is offering a program on Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 6-8pm, “Healing forom the Wounds of Issue One,” and it will be facilitated by Rev. Phil Hart, the Stonewall GLBT Interfaith Coordinator. We will discuss our thoughts and emotions about our loss and share ideas for the next fight. Join us as we all discuss this set back and hopefully leave with renewed hope and strength. Thank you for your energy and strength.
