At nearly a half century old I thought I had seen the greatest gay rights movement with the advent of Stonewall. Wow. Clearly I was mistaken.

What transpired Saturday was a long overdue, most exciting reinvigorations of the Equal / Civil / Gay rights movement I have ever seen or experienced since Stonewall.

However in keeping with the times and in contrast to Stonewall, instead of stones and bottle throwing (although not to discount or minimize that either) I saw an amazingly positive think tank type convergence of average Gay Joes (and Gay Marys) sitting within a group talking, discussing and defining -- putting voice to solutions, rather than violence to problems.

As importantly those voices had some very sharp, concise and discerning understanding(s) insofar as defining what the problems were in getting our word and issues heard (and rights recognized) -- then followed by a remarkable and often brilliant array of ideas for possible solutions.

Putting voice to idea, after nearly every person in the (Media) group spoke I often found myself thinking -- "hmmm, now why didn't we think of that?" And perhaps we had -- but back then didn't have the organizational tool of the Internet to form such an interactive grassroots conference that could bring the many concerned and dedicated people together in such short order.

What struck me as even more unusual about this conference was the the complete lack of any negativity or finger pointing (unless unsed to frame the problem) nor platform used for complaining diatribe. Refreshing in that alone!

While we had several notable people speak AND participate in the break-out sessions there was no hierarchy or "leaders": -- WE were the leaders -- Every voice was equal and every voice was encouraged to share.

For the first time in a very long time I walked away with some real hope for our collective future and our rights therein and a renewed fondness for the next generation that's taking the baton from us to carry forward. Thanks Matt, Chris, Sara and Mike! YOU. ROOOOCK!

I want to add my voice to Marc's comments. This was a great afternoon for me and, I thought, very productive. I am not a leader in anyone's heirarchy, just another queer that wants to be involved in this newly emerging grassroots movement. The speakers at the conference gave me plenty of inspiration (and information) - Matt, you were absolutely wonderful! I joined the Outreach breakout session, made some new connections and was incredibly stimulated by the discussion. I will continue to move forward with my involvement and add my own particular perspective and agenda - there is room for all of our activities. I loved Robin's statement that this is not about "passing the torch", but rather about "lighting your tourches and joining those that came before." I love all the new young queers getting active and taking on leadership. Thanks for this conference - it was exactly what I needed. I posted additional comments and pictures on my own blog on MySpace.com/JohnWaiblinger for anyone that's interested.

I WAS SUPRISED BY THE REACTION TO THE PASSAGE OF PROP 8. IT WAS THE FRIST TIME IN MY LIFE, I AM 64, THAT I HAD CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEFEAT OF ANY PROPOSITON. I HAVE ALSO BEEN IN THE "CLOSET" AND LIVED AROUND LA FOR MOST OF MY LIFE AS WELL. I AM SO PLEASED THAT MANY YOUNGER PEOPLE WILL BE WILLING TO JOIN IN THIS EFFORT TO OBTAIN EQUAL RIGHTS FOR EVERY CITIZEN IN THE THIS STATE AND EVENTUALLY THE NATION. I WAS AWOL IN THE LAST CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT BUT WANT TO JOIN YOU ALL IN THIS ONE! I THINK WITH A DIFFERENT MESSAGE, WE CAN OVER-COME THE PREJUDICE AND MISINFORMATION SPREAD TO WIN THIS UNAMERICAN BALLOT PROPOSITION.

I too came out at 13, but I'm 78 now, not 23.

I go back a long ways in the gay movement. I was media director for the Gay Activists Alliance starting in l97l. I co-founded the Natianal Gay and Lesbian Task Force in l973, and in the same year was successful in spearheading tha American Psychiatric Assn.'s removal of homosexuality from its sicklist. I coordinated national gay efforts to get anti-gay stuff out of the media and wrote the first gay media handbook. In the 80's I quit the movement, but have continued to fire off my views, chiefly that we need to engage in a debate about morality with the bigots, and to summon up some of the righteous anger we had in the old days.

For the past 10 years I've been spending half my time in Bangladesh because my mate can't even get a tourist visa, and stewing about the fact that all these years later I'm still subject to official discrimination. I haven't been happy about the establishment ways of current gay organization, including the one I helped to found, so was delighted to read that Prop. 8 has stimulated a new post-Stonewall activism. I googled Equal Roots Coaltion, and here I am. I'm hoping for suggestions on how I can participate these days.

Herewith something I unsuccessfully tried to peddle as an op-ed piece:

AN END TO HATE

By Ronald Gold

Here in Bangladesh, I got up at the crack of dawn on Nov. 5, so as not to miss the early election returns coming in 11 hours earlier from my home country, the United States of America.

I was fearful that the polls had been somehow wrong, but as the morning wore on and it became clearer that Sen. Obama actually would win, euphoria set in. I applauded what everyone has agreed was a gracious concession from Sen. McCain. I thought it appropriate and was moved by, Obama’s minimum-content but brilliantly written and delivered Grant Park speech. At age 78, I even managed a few dance steps along with the celebrants from around the world. This election, I said to myself, represents the end of hate in America.

That is, until a couple of hours later, when I learned that the voters in California and two other states, the same people who’d put Obama over the top, had amended their constitutions to limit marriage to “one man and one woman.” Hate, I learned, was alive and well, but now almost solely directed at gay people, directed at ME.

No, I can hear you saying, that’s not hate. You, like Barack Obama, want us to have all the rights and privileges of everybody else, it’s just that marriage is . . . Is what? A religious rite? Not when it’s a secular contract; when no member of the clergy has ever been forced to perform a same-sex marriage, and many of them have gladly done so. Tied to procreation? Not when one man and one woman are often infertile or past childbearing age. Let’s face it: the ban on gay marriage is hate in the same way that “separate but equal” was. It says I’m just not good enough to share what you’ve got.

I’m in Bangladesh for half the year because Ali, my mate, can’t even get a tourist visa to visit me in the U.S. And our dozen-year relationship doesn’t entitle me to sponsor him as an immigrant as I could if he were a woman I could marry.

The only route left for us is the Uniting American Families Act, now languishing in Congress, which – on the model of l9 other countries, some of which don’t trumpet their devotion to equal rights like we do in America – would allow me to sponsor him without resorting to marriage.

President Elect Obama, as I understand it, has expressed some support for this bill, but judging by the pundits who’ve rushed to caution him against such “distractions” as gay rights, he’s unlikely to touch this issue any time soon. It’s time now for us gay people to employ the righteous anger that has served the black civil-rights movement so well, and for straight people of good will to start marching on our behalf, as white folks like me did so many years ago when I went to Washington to hear about Martin Luther King’s dream. I too have a dream, about an end to hate against gay men and lesbians, but like him, I suspect I won’t be around when we reach the promised land.

Kudos, Matt!!

I have been quite browned off by the way the Gay Party has been handling the national conversation on equal rights for sexual minorities for many years. I was was worried about all the random pith and vinegar that spewed forth from the gay community in the days following November 4th. I have been hoping that someone, somewhere would channel all of that anger into some strategic thinking, and clear tactical approaches. Equal Roots is definitely headed in that direction.

We need more of this kind of activity, and less hollering.