2009.78.5

This is a copy of a speech that Robin McGehee, lead organizer of the Meet in the Middle 4 Equality event, which was read to announce the event at a town hall meeting on February 26, 2009 in San Francisco The text of the entire speech reads: Page 1: My purpose is simple, and fittingly taken from SF's LGBT history. My name is Robin McGehee. I am a wife and a mother of two from Fresno, California. I live three and a half hours from here, give or take, and I have traveled here to recruit YOU. On the 1st Saturday AFTER the California Supreme Court issues its ruling on the Proposition 8 cases -- win or lose -- we are kicking off a statewide and national effort toward full federal equality and we are kicking it off in Fresno. It's called Meet in the Middle 4 Equality. The Selma & Montgomery of the gay rights movement are not going to be the Castro and West Hollywood areas -- it's going to be places like Fresno. As a movement, we will not have a better stage, a better moment in time, as the nation waits and watches, as we converge from each section of this Page 2: state, to demonstrate OUR community's statewide mobilization for FULL equality, in the epicenter of middle America values, for US and for all our LGBT family across this great Nation. This IS the civil rights movement of our generation and we implore you to make the commitment to STAND with us, shoulder to shoulder, fist in the air -- demonstrating that 8 is no longer enough. The days of focusing exclsively on the liberal communities of the coast in the hopes of overwhelming the conservatives in the Central Valley are over. Years of neglect by the Democratic Party in general and gay rights groups in particular have allowed social conservatives to form a huge, monolithic voting block that -- when coupled with the small pockets of social conservatives in your own communities, creats the block that passed Page 3: Proposition 8. It would be neglectful of me not to mention, for my LGBT brothers and sisters who did not make the trek from the Central Valley, that many of us felt like we lived in a Third World gay ghetto that somewhat in an after-thought was sent limited rations of resources and supplies as the helicopter jetted back to the safe Mecca of San Francisco and we were left to fend for ourselves. Many might see this statement with the purpose to place blame or shame on any one person or organization, but as a person of Faith, I have to believe that all those involved in the fight to secure marriage rights for our community did what they felt was best at the time. We too, are ready to move forward. The fact of the matter is this: communities like Fresno are far more Page 4: reflective of national attitudes toward gay and lesbian issues than places like San Francisco. Until you put down roots in the Valley and learn to engage the people of my hometown, we will not have full equality. I love San Francisco, it is a utopa -- the place that as a young Lesbian from Mississippi I dreamed of as I fled the shackles of religious oppression. But San Francisco is not reality for many in our movement. In Fresno, we are the battleground for equality and some must live behind enemy lines as they fight for their rights, as well as their emotional and physical well-being. We need the help and commitment of every person in this room -- to organize and fight for equality in the middle-America towns -- like FRESNO -- that are robbing YOU of YOUR rights. Finally, I go back to the sentiments of Harvey, I Page 5: am not a lonely Central V activist -- I am the example of a movement -- You may not be able to see it, but I do. I hope you'll meet us in the middle and see it for yourself -- in FRESNO.

Meet in the Middle 4 Equality was an event organized to follow the California Supreme Court's decision whether or not to uphold Proposition 8. It marked a new turn in activism surrounding gay rights, when gay rights organizations such as Equality California began deep efforts in communities other than large cities. Below is the mission statement written on the organization's website:MissionOur purpose is simple, and fittingly taken from SFﾐs LGBT history. We are Californians living, working, loving and raising families in Central California. And we are here to recruit YOU.On the 1st Saturday AFTER the California Supreme Court issues its ruling on the Proposition 8 cases -- win or lose -- we are kicking off a statewide and national effort toward full federal equality and we are kicking it off in Fresno. We are called Meet in the Middle 4 Equality. The Selma & Montgomery of the gay rights movement are not going to be the Castro and West Hollywood areas -- it's going to be places like Fresno. As a movement, we will not have a better stage, a better moment in time, as the nation waits and watches, as we converge, from each section of this state, to demonstrate OUR communityﾐs statewide mobilization for FULL equality, in the epicenter of middle America values, for US and for all our LGBT family across this great Nation.This IS the civil rights movement of our generation and we implore you to make the commitment to STAND with us, shoulder to shoulder, fist in the air -- demonstrating that 8 is no longer enough.The days of focusing exclusively on the liberal communities of the coast in the hopes of overwhelming the conservatives of the Central Valley are over. Years of neglect by the Democratic Party in general and gay rights groups in particular have allowed social conservatives to form a huge, monolithic voting block that -- when coupled with the small pockets of social conservatives in your own communities, creates the block that passed Proposition 8.It would be neglectful not to mention our LGBT brothers and sisters who have not relocated to LGBT friendly places like the bay or LA areas feel like we live in a Third World gay ghetto that somewhat in an after-thought was sent limited rations of resources and supplies as the helicopter jetted back to the safe Mecca of San Francisco and we were left to fend for ourselves. Many might see this statement with the purpose to place blame or shame on any one person or organization, but as a people of faith and courage, we have to believe that all those involved in the fight to secure marriage rights for our community did what they felt was best at the time.We too, are ready to move forward. The fact of the matter is this: communities like Fresno are far more reflective of national attitudes toward gay and lesbian issues than places like San Francisco. Until we put down roots in the Valley and learn to engage the people of our own hometowns, we will not have full equality. San Francisco is a utopia -- the place that young LGBT dreamed of as a place to flee the shackles of religious oppression. But San Francisco is not reality for many in our movement. In Fresno, we are the battleground for equality and some must live behind enemy lines as we fight for our rights, as well as our emotional and physical well-being.We need the help and commitment of every person reading this mission -- to organize and fight for equality in the middle-America towns -- like FRESNO -- that are robbing YOU of YOUR rights.Finally, going back to the sentiments of Harvey Milk, I am not a lonely Central Valley activist -- I am the example of a movement -- You may not be able to see it, but I do. I hope you'll meet us in the middle and see it for yourself -- in FRESNO.

Used: Robin McGehee | San Francisco | Meet in the Middle 4 Equality