Breakfast at Tiffany's – Because I Do Not Know

Our Own Rosa Parks(es)

Columnist and former "American Candidate" Keith Boykin says the gay community needs hundreds of people like Rosa Parks to be the new generation of queer activists.

We don't need a Martin Luther King to lead us to the Promised Land. Instead, we need thousands of people like Rosa Parks to stand up and be leaders in their own communities. No one person can represent everyone. That's why we need women and men, young and old, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender activists with various backgrounds and from all parts of the country.

If we want to hear new voices, our organizations need to make an active effort to recruit, train and support new activists. And we need to find ways to mentor new leaders before the old leaders burn out. I know that my own organization -- the National Black Justice Coalition -- is busy making plans to do that, and I imagine others are doing the same.

Those of us in positions of leadership can't stay on forever. We have to realize it's time for new faces to be seen, and those faces can't be seen as long as the old faces continue to steal the spotlight. But that also means it's time for new people to step up and be active. As the door of leadership swings open, let's make sure there are plenty of new people to walk inside.

Of course, one issue to this is that the younger generation (say 18- to 25-year-olds) seem less inclined to be pigeonholed as just "gay." To many of them, being gay is just part of who they are. They aren't defined by it. And in many cases, this is thanks to the people who have gone before them. There are, of course, exceptions, but today's younger gay people have not faced the enormous and constant scorn those who passed through earlier did.

This is a good thing. But it also tends to lessen the desire to grasp activism. It also means not all gay people "drink the Kool-Aid" that is required to be part of the gay activist establishment. There is no room for differing opinions, and anyone not toeing the "party line" is subject to scorn and cries of "sellout." In fact, this sounds remarkably like what the black community has experienced in recent years. If you express an opinion opposed by the race hustlers, you are an Oreo.

This approach, however, will not work among the gay community. We have survived not in spite of our individuality, but because of it. Rosa Parks did not do what she did because she was "recruited" or "trained." She did what she did because of her inner strength and her determination. That's what we should be fostering among younger queers.

It's no longer, "We're here, we're queer, get over it!" It's simply: "We're here."

4 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 6:43 PM
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4 Comments:

Jake, I agree with all of that. Maybe it's because I am directly involved with alcohol and drug recovery, but it seems like we are losing the "necessary" generation to drugs. Crystal Meth to be precise. It gets worse every day.
I just hope it's not too late.

By dAAve, at 2:27 AM

Unfortunately, things don't happen like they did with Rosa Parks; there are tons of people out there that are fighting every day. And, there is a need to get more... I guess that sounds a little jaded, but it is the truth, and I think that is a little more valid. We are more visible, and that will help things progress quicker, but with the crazy right wing Christians on our backs, who knows how long that will take... ugh.

As for what high powered said about Meth, it is so true. Meth is going to single handedly do in so many gay men, and they don't even know it. It makes me sad that this plague is a plague of excess and choice among so many gay men, and continues to allow HIV to run rampant. Here's hoping that we can do something about that. Keep up the good work HP.

By Anonymous, at 12:04 PM

hi jakey,

i agree that we need more leaders and we need more activism.

i want to agree with the idea that the 18-25 yr olds havn't faced as much scorn. but i can't. i'm 24 and i went through a rather rough childhood being gay and being scorned. has this led me to a leadership position to champion gay rights? unfortunately no.

i agree that my generation of gays seems more content earning a buck and getting on in life. in fact many of them (as evidenced by recent relationships) seem to have taken it in the direction of marching right back into the closet. i can't say what motivates most people but personally, i know that the best thing i've done among my peers is to have been just me, not just gay. i won't even try and say this is some sort of individualized grass roots way of getting people to be ok with the gay. but i find it the best way and most important way for me to reach people who might otherwise be bigoted and get them to understand.

By kinkyrhombus, at 3:32 PM

Great comments, guys. Thanks.

Meth = AIDS = death.

And Kinky, personally, I think you're on the right path. The intent of the post was not to call for more activists. Instead, it was to call for more people like Rosa Parks, who on one particular day was brave enough to make a difference. You don't need protest marches, signs and catchy slogans to do that. Instead, you can just be a normal person. Those people are our role models, not the self-appointed, self-righteous "activists."

By Jake McCafferty, at 8:53 PM