Web Spotlight: Undo2

Undo2 is a grassroots campaign to undo the harm of Amendment 2-a constitutional amendment that bans marriage equality and jeopardizes any legal protections for same-sex couples and all unmarried Floridians.

"Welcome to California Where Chickens Have More Rights Than Me"

As a queer vegan blogger I probably have a different perspective on this but I felt the need to rant. I wrote about the Black-Gay Blame Game and how it is wrong to single out African-Americans because the majority of that community voted for prop 8. We must understand that all the struggles for liberation have parallels but cannot be equated as each are unique in their own way.

Black people were enslaved, beaten, and subject to some of the most horrendous discrimination in this country. The queer civil rights movement cannot be compared to that movement because it is fundamentally different, there are parallels but equating that both are the same is doing a disservice to both movements. There are struggles blacks have dealt with that gays have not and vice versa.

Similarly this notion that proposition 2 passed (an animal protection bill) is somehow giving animals more rights than LGBT people is ridiculous and downright speciesist (involves assigning different values or rights to beings on the basis of their species membership).

People are holding signs at rallies saying "chickens can spread their wings, but gays can't marry." Six hens to a tiny battery cage where they cannot move, and are forcefully debeaked without pain killers, and excrete on one another is not on the same level with the marriage equality movement. The parallel is both movements strive to bring basic dignities and rights to all, but they are not on the same level playing field.



The routine procedures such as castration, debeaking, caging, force-feeding, and denial of basic natural practices for animals is far from humane, and no chickens do not have more rights than gay people. That is a ridiculous assertion, animals have no rights in our society. The federal law to protect animals even excludes animals raised for food consumption.

I am very much in favor of drawing parallels between struggles for liberation, after all we are all tied to the same goals of basic dignity for our families and livelihoods and we all face a similar oppressor each and every time. The time now is to understand the struggle for equality and to draw parallels but not to point fingers and denigrate one struggle over another.

The Queer Spirit Will Live On...

Today is a mixed bag of emotions for America's LGBTQ community. We stand in solidarity with our African-American brothers and sisters witnessing the historic occasion of the election of a bi-racial president. We have a president-elect who respects LGBTQ people and even mentioned us in his victory speech. We have also made gains of pro-equality seats throughout the national and state governments.

Regardless of whether one is a republican, democrat, moderate or apathetic, one cannot help but be elated to be part of the history that has been made last night. However, one break through is not enough. We have also witnessed last night that a history of oppression and a denial of civil liberties continues. The LGBT community had five important propositions on the ballot and we have lost most. Florida and Arizona have passed marriage bans. California will likely write discrimination into the constitution and a legal mess will ensue as to how to deal with the 18,000 plus gay/lesbian couples who have tied the knot. Arkansas is denying unmarried parents the right to adopt or foster children, which is a direct aim at gay adoption rights. Connecticut has rejected a constitutional convention.

President-elect Barack Obama inspires me when he says "we are not a red America or a blue America, a black America or white America, a gay America, or a straight America, we are the United States of America." I think right now this is a vision of hope, and that currently we are divided. The passing of these propositions shows that America still has deep fear, hatred, and disgust for queer people. It is hurtful and it is depressing but we must continue our fight.

We are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersexual, asexual, and straight allies. We must be united and not divided in our fight for true equality for all sexual and gender minorities. We have our differences, but our passions are the same. We want to live our lives as who are, with whom we want, and the way we want. We want protections for our families. That is our vision that is our hope, please don't give up. We never thought we would see the day when an African-American man becomes president. Now we know we will see the day for a brighter America, where the rainbow will shine and one day LGBT people too will rise above the bigotry and hatred that the majority has bestowed upon us.