OT: The Most Empowering Thing I Have Ever Done RE: Gay Activism

[David]

For the past five years, my former partner, who's on SSI for mental illness, has lived with a conservative "Christian" family in Arizona. They've tampered with his mail, gotten him to sign falsified documents, and generally use his disbabilities as a control device--all to keep him isolated from me & the gay community.

DS board member Joe Integlia knows the story--he knew Beecher & I as a couple. Nancy Kersey has also familiarized herself with the story and given me some much needed advice.

Thanks to online postings about this, my story reached the ears of Marriage Equality USA, a California based advocacy group working towards gaining LGBT marriage equality world wide--they've had sucess in Europe.
Because of their efforts, current polls indicate that Prop 8, California's gay marriage ban, would now be overturned in a general election.

Marrriage Equality USA is documenting the histories of gay relationships. They asked me to participate in their Story Project,
a series of 40 minute audio interviews that will be archived online, at the San Francisco Public Library and at the Library of Congress in Washington DC.

I did my interview today--I cannot even begin to describe how empowering this was--it took my breath away!
I was hugged by several people after it's conclusion--my story is not your typical happy ending love story, but it does illustrate why gay couples need the legal protections of marriage.

It went so well, they asked me to share the story again as part of their Loving Quilt Project.
Details of the Quilt Project here:
www.marriageequality.org/quilt

I'm also talking to them about doing public speaking at their events.

Well, maybe my story, with it's sad ending, can do some good for others.

Today, I feel like Jack screaming "I'm King of the World" in Titanic!!

[Brian]

David, you have my sympathies for the way you and your partner's situation turned out, but I offer CONGRATS! to you for moving forward and sharing your story, since it can only help so many others.  As you well know, sometimes we as individuals must make sacrifices that might serve the greater good.  Brian

[David]

Thanks, Brian. And to everyone else who read this. The interview, which I'll link here after it's online, is intense. It touches upon many issues: the rights of gay couples, the civil rights of the mentally ill, and the apathy of gay advocacy groups who look the other way when we need their help. I hope everyone who hears my interview will share it with friends and speak out against these kinds of abusive injustices. What happened to Beecher and I is no isolated incident.

Peace and love to all.

[rainingwolf]

Good for you, David, for standing up and telling your story. Going public and putting pressure on those in power is the only way to bring about change. As a retired counselor, may I also suggest that NAMI is a similar organization for supporting the rights of the mentally ill. They do a fabulous job at working with peers and engaging in group planning to demand that the mentally ill be treated with dignity and respect. All of us who are disenfranchised- LGBT-the disabled-the minority groups; they all need to keep the pressure on so that we are all treated like every other member of this society with all the rights, responsibilities and respect. My thanks to you for your courage and your part in this.

[Janet the Wicked]

Thank goodness you don't live in the South, where this will never change. Good luck to you in your efforts. I loved my partner very much, but we couldn't make it legal. asses. I found most of the Southland very charming while I was there, but they are sooooooo hungup on stereotypes, even to this day.

[David]

I'm in San Francisco, allegedly the gay capital of the USA, yet when I turned to gay advocacy groups for help, I was taunted and laughed at--Joe Integlia can verify this as well.
One of the things I discussed in the interview is this:
www.ProtectFamilies.Blogspot.com

Protect Families is an anti gay hate blog run by my ex's housemates. "I Chronicle Hate Acts Done Against Christians" says the mast head. Most of the posts are about me. Not only is mostly everything they post provably false, the most recent post has two supportive comments from gay activist Wayne Besen, who runs the "gay advocacy" group Truth Wins Out.

Besen's behavior is typical of what's been going on in the gay rights movement for years: phony activists who play both sides of the fence because they make a living by perpetuating this battle.
I was also subjected to provably false hit pieces at the Phoenix New Times written by Niki D'Andrea, an out lesbian, who reported that I was physically stalking my ex, his housemates, and their children--I live 800 miles away from them for God's sake.

Both Besen & D'Andrea ignored my documentation & witnesses--two of my witnesses were stopped, by the housemates, from contacting Beecher to express their condolences when his Mom died. Joe Integlia is one of those witnesses.

American LGBT people cannot get help or obtain real equality because of phony activists like these who throw us all under
the bus for personal gain--we need to stand up to them as strongly as we stand up to anti-gay fundamentalists.

Thank God I found a real, supportive advocacy group like Marriage Equality USA.

[joe integlia]

yes ive been aware of this situation since the beginning. im glad to hear that finally its been getting the proper exposure.

[David]

It looks like it'll be another week or so until the interview is available online.
Until then, interested parties can visit my blog, David's Open Forum:
www.DavidsOpenForum.Blogspot.com

My two most recent posts give an overview on what I talked about during the interview--one of those posts offers a link to visual documentation of my claims.

I'm very grateful for the supportive comments & for the number of hits this thread has gotten. Midnite & MB have created more than a place to discuss DS, they've given us a real & supportive community.