The grassroots group that pulled together the National Equality March is leaping into local organizing in a big way by calling for a National Week of Initiative, November 1 - 8.
This is the best news I've seen in months. From a political point of view, it is far more important than the Oct. 11 march.
EAA is calling on people from all over the country to organize Congressional District Action Team meetings that week. The action team materials now available on the EAA web site are smart and sophisticated, and they include a mechanism for local groups to report back to EAA.
From what I can see, EAA organizers borrowed heavily from Barack Obama's presidential campaign for their procedures. That's a smart move. Obama's effort may well have been the most effective grassroots campaign ever waged in this country.
My only concern is that the newly minted action teams remember to reach out to existing local and state pro-equality groups. These folks have been working on the ground for LGBT equality for years, and they have the expertise, resources and contacts that can help the Congressional Action Teams succeed.
I've been critical of Equality Across America and the national march, but this gives me real hope. If those who went to the march and those who stayed home will follow EAA's lead and organize locally, then we will win the day -- and sooner than any of us might have dreamed.
Kudos to Equality Across America.
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6 Comments
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Best news I've heard lately. A realistic grass roots movement. Cool. I'll put a notice upon Craigslist right now about it and see if anyone in my area is interested in doing this too.
Rob Barton | October 18, 2009 10:21 PM
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What are these new recruits supposed to do? Lobby politicians? Enough groups are already doing that - with no results.
Come up with a way to actually win our full equality - and maybe it would be exciting. Equality-across-America isn't.
Non-profits are not trying to "win," they're trying to create another organization and to raise more money. I'm not contributing to any more Gay-Rights groups until one of them comes up with a "winning" plan. "Trying" isn't enough.
AndrewW | October 18, 2009 11:06 PM
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You would be correct to say "enough groups already do that" but the part you're missing is that not enough people do. The EAA strategy is the best one put forth so far - and that's connecting the actual voters and community members with the politicians to demand change instead of simply hoping for a few groups' lobbyists to make a difference while we sit back and occasionally send an email or donate $20.
Because the winning strategy involves getting everyone off their asses and actually working for equality instead of waiting on it to drop in their laps. Your statement that "trying" isn't enough so you're going to stop giving puts you in a position usually reserved for quitters and those not really invested in a project. I'm sorry for that - because to win actual equality we'll need everyone's resources (as EAA is trying to show).
Bil Browning | October 20, 2009 9:28 AM
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Great timing - after focusing everybody on The March instead of the upcoming elections, they'll launch their campaign just in time to capitalize on the anger about our Nov. 3 referendum losses and victories by anti-lgbt candidates in states like NJ and VA.
tristram | October 18, 2009 11:44 PM
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Please keep us up to speed on what to do. This project sounds exciting. Eugene Oregon
Daniel Lewis Frommherz | October 19, 2009 5:02 AM
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As an EAA activist in DC, I will work locally on local LGBT issues, such as marriage equality. Nationally, I expect our grassroots teams to work for the election of pro-LGBT candidates and the defeat of anti-LGBT incumbents. There are a few politicians open to reason; however, the bulk of the real work is to put as many of the bigots and hypocrites as possible out of office--permanently.
Dan Massey | October 21, 2009 1:00 PM
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