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By DAN RENZI
Thursday, May 15, 2008
These are hot and heavy political times ‘round here in the United States, with the wars going on and the dollars going to the pits and the other various sorts of brouhaha troubling the minds of your neighbors. I believe Deborah Cox said it best when she sang those words, Things just ain’t the same… no they aren’t, Deborah. There once was a time when things weren’t like this.
But there’s no point in sitting back wringing your hands, waiting for someone else to fix your problems, is there? We here at the Express certainly don’t think so. It is a thrill to share the story of Heather Gillman, a 16-year-old student from our neighbor up north, Ponce de Leon, Fla., who took on her school, her school Board, and the entire state of Florida when she sued for the right to wear gay-pride rainbow buttons and stickers and such. Gillman tried to wear such a pin in support of her friends, who were being harassed by schoolmates for being “out;” but the school’s principal had banned the gay pride emblems, saying the pins were “disruptive” and that they were signs that the students were part of a “secret/illegal organization.” If only we were that interesting.
It’s shocking enough to consider the fact that the young Ms. Gillman not only had the nerve to contact the ACLU about her case, but she actually followed through with it, literally taking everyone to court—and, presumably, still went to school the next day. She may not have realized at the time that she was creating what is called “legal precedent,” which is the framework our entire legal system functions.
These cases may only seem like a lawsuit to wear a silly little pin; but it’s actually much bigger, ensuring the protection for everyone in the State of Florida to utilize their right to free speech, including the right to personal expression however we see fit. Go ahead, be gay, it’s okay. Heather Gillman just forced the Florida government to say so. This is why the ACLU takes on these cases--in the end, they’re really not much about that little rainbow pin after all.
You also may have noticed our cover story, on the Human Rights Campaign’s “Camp Equality,” a two-day training program that teaches ordinary citizens how to run political campaigns. HRC is literally mobilizing an army of activists, teaching them such combat skills as how to raise money, communicate with the press, and help propel their chosen candidates to get out there and make the world a better place. A surprisingly large amount of people showed up bright and early on Saturday morning, each with a story of why they feel compelled to join the political landscape however they can, and start creating change one day at a time. And perhaps even more surprisingly, a sizeable portion of the participants weren’t even part of the LGBT scene. They were just there because they wanted to join the fight. Yes, much to the horror of the conservative Right, the gays are recruiting.
According to the Washington Post, only 60.7% of registered voters cast ballots in the 2004 election. Depressingly enough, that number is one of the highest in history. Usually the percentage hovers around half the population. And let’s not even discuss how many show up to vote when it’s not a vote for President, it’s pathetic. We as a nation have become far too comfortable in our easy lives, thinking everything will take care of itself; or perhaps we feel like just one person cannot accomplish enough to matter. Even in this week’s “The Q,” we asked people—in light of this turbulent political season—what they as individuals do “to make the world a better place.” Only one person gave a response with any sort of action; the other four merely cooed lovely wishes for world peace, which they hope to achieve thinking positive thoughts. It sounds like everyone in south Florida has read “The Secret.”
We here at the Express don’t claim to have all the answers. We merely have a forum to ask some questions, and it’s up to you, dear reader, to choose what to do with the information. And when almost half the eligible population isn’t taking the time to vote for who should be the President of our country, it goes without saying that if we choose to mobilize, our little community actually could get something done. So let’s get to work.
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