A Seat at the Table

In the world of political activism, there is a time for pushing leaders to act and a time for mobilizing support for action. Elections are a time for the latter.

Many of us within the LGBT community -- myself included -- are rightly frustrated and disappointed by the slow pace of change we worked for and expected with President Barack Obama's election in 2008.

Despite support from 75% of the American people, a majority of the U.S. House, 57% of the Senate, words of support from the president, and a federal court ruling the law unconstitutional, the military's failed "don't ask, don't tell" policy has not been repealed. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act is not yet law, and repeal of the odious Defense of Marriage Act is not even on the table. A spate of LGBT teen suicides serve as a daily reminder of the human cost of failure on these important issues.

The question is, What do we do about it? A vocal segment of the LGBT community says we should withhold financial support to candidates and the only national party that advocates progress, but the message this really sends to LGBT voters and those who support them is "stay home" on Election Day. "Staying home" would be a disaster.

Understandable frustration must not muddy what is really at stake on November 2.

Everything.

Thomas Jefferson said, "Patriotism is not a short, frenzied burst of emotion, but the long and steady dedication of a lifetime."

Many protests offer fleeting moments of satisfaction and under the right circumstances are a potent tool to motivate leaders to take action. Unfortunately, in the weeks leading up to a pivotal national election, they can also produce the unintended consequence of catalyzing apathy and the so called "enthusiasm gap," leading less motivated voters to say, "Why bother?"

Two years ago millions of patriots stood for progressive change and equality. Much as Fox News would have you believe otherwise, 2010 is not a referendum on that change. Instead, it is a test of our patriotism -- of our long and steady dedication to the change we seek.

It's not a sprint, but a marathon.

The lesson from the filibuster-happy Republican minority these past two years is that absent that long and steady dedication, we won't just lose an election -- the LGBT community will lose a seat at the table.

Every single Senate Republican voted to block consideration of DADT repeal, though Speaker Pelosi's House, with the leadership of Rep. Patrick Murphy, passed the legislation. Not one Republican is sponsoring repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, and just two are sponsoring the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. That means these measures stand zero chance at passage if John Boehner becomes speaker or Mitch McConnell becomes majority leader.

I founded and run an online organizing network called the Courage Campaign. Before we launch a campaign, we always ask, "What result can we reasonably expect to achieve?" Otherwise, we may feel really good getting a bunch of people to sign something or protest, but we'll achieve nothing.

What can we reasonably expect to achieve with a strategy of "don't give, don't vote," beyond ceding control of government to the party of Carl Paladino? Are we really willing to flush any hope for progress on LGBT equality -- much less the panoply of progressive issues ranging from health care to economic recovery -- right down a polluted toilet?

Have Obama and the Democrats done everything they could to advance LGBT equality? Nope. But if we sit this out with a protest, boycott, or just a snooze, we'll wake up with a hangover -- and zero influence -- on November 3. If the Democrats lose control of Congress, those who made the difference in 2008 but sat out 2010 can say, "See, they couldn't win without us." But precisely which Republicans will thank you for that? Which ones will vote to repeal "don't ask, don't tell," pass ENDA, repeal DOMA, or protect LGBT teens from radical extremists bent on bullying?

It's time to back those who have backed progress. If anything, the slow pace of change since 2008 demands we redouble our efforts in 2010. And the day after the election, if we still have a majority in one or both houses, we'll need to push from both the inside and outside. We must coordinate and sustain that effort, using every tool at our disposal. When united, there's no stopping us unless we have first managed to stop ourselves.