So what happened? No on 8 was incompetent

[unusualmusic_lj_archive]

Vioa: delux_vivens

Beware of teh hand when its coming form the left...

The No on 8 campaign lost this issue with their assumptions and prejudice. I got sick of not seeing any commercials at first, then of seeing commercials that made no mention LGBT people, then seeing commercials that equated it with other civil rights issues far too late in the campaign to be effective. I wonder if anything was even actively done to reach out to show folks in the rural areas of this state how this effects real people, or if they just thought that "those people" were far too ignorant to bother with.

Yesterday on KCBS was the first time I heard about a physical confrontation on the news. I knew it was the same group of folks because the MO was the same (wave signs in people's faces, use homophobic epithets). Imagine if that had actually gotten play earlier. I'd have loved to see a No on 8 ad showing the tactics of the "other side". Shame was a powerful tool during the civil rights struggles during the Jim Crow era. Too bad they were too timid to use it.
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Postmortem

Bottom line, though: we shouldn't have to fight another round. It WAS...is...time for this to happen. I'm pretty disappointed in the No on 8 campaign--the organizing, fundraising, and particularly the messaging left a lot to be desired. I think the decision to make same-sex couples completely invisible in the campaign advertising was a big strategic error. I understand the reasoning behind it, but it permitted the opposition to steer the conversation away from Prop 8's very real and emotional impact. By refusing to focus on the people whose rights were being taken away, No on 8 accepted the idea that same-sex relationships and LGBTQ people SHOULD be invisible, SHOULD be "kept out of our faces," SHOULDN'T be "flaunted." It fought the battle on the enemy's terms.MORe

Just a note: Oh ye "No on 8" supporters who are screaming at black ppl because one exit poll based on 240 ppl told you that they went for Prop hate 70-30, tell me...did you ASK THEM FOR THEIR VOTE? Cause a quick look at your television advertisements? Would make that a resounding NO. ASK and ye shall RECEIVE, idiots. And this is apparently a perennial problem in the gay rights movement. Queer minorities and potential minority allies are sidelined and ignored, and then blamed when shit like this comes up. Make the effort, for god's sake.

Comments

[doctorcaligari.livejournal.com]

"...did you ASK THEM FOR THEIR VOTE? Cause a quick look at your television advertisements? Would make that a resounding NO. ASK and ye shall RECEIVE, idiots."

That.....is an excellent point.

It might or might not have been enough to stem the tide, but it could very well have helped, couldn't it? And it certainly would not have HURT.

Hmmmm.

Something definitely to keep in mind next time I am readying to open my wallet for the cause again. Thanks.

[freakykat.livejournal.com]

I think miniorities in general were left out of the campaign this is true. But you would think, just in general, it would give them pause, ALL MINIORITIES, to take someone else's rights away. I am disappointed to be one at this very moment to be perfectly honest.

[unusualmusic.livejournal.com]

I agree that it would make logical sense that minorities would think before taking away someone's rights. Hell that the thinking that ran through my mind when I was young, cause my parents are not exactly open minded on the subject. But the problem is that people are very good at compartmentalizing, especially where religion is concerned. I might point out, as an example, however, that when teh Irish first came here, they were on par with la negroes. When they were elevated into the ranks of whiteness? Just as racist. we had a lot of Jews that helped us out the the civil rights movement, and a lot who ran in the opposite direction. YES ON HATE reached out to the minority churches, and evoked the common bond of religion, in a way that No on HATE did not. Hell, the more I hear about it, the more I am getting teh impression that LGBT minorities and allies were simply not properly utilized and integrated into the No on eight campaign, to their detriment. Further, as one community leader commented, she was busy fighting stuff that she saw as more germane to their communities, gang violence, foreclosures, poverty, and so didn't see YES on HATe as their problem, because it was not brought home to them that this is particularly germane to their existence. It sure doesn't help that there is a rift between many LGBT of colour and the mainstream gay movement, which is almost universally portrayed as white and middle-class, due to racism and ignorance and an inability to grasp the idea of intersectionality. its complicated. Its a clusterfuck. and the the best way to slove it would be for ppl to realize that a proper coalition between allies and queer LGBT, minority and otherwise, need to be built. Cause as this whole thing showed, since we didn't hang together? We all hung separately.

[doctorcaligari.livejournal.com]

PS -- I hope it's all right with you if I link to this on threads where a little injection of sanity is required?

[unusualmusic.livejournal.com]

Link away.

[doctorcaligari.livejournal.com]

Thankee.

[chn-breathmint.livejournal.com]

As a queer Chinese woman, all I can say is:

Thank you. Thank you for understanding, thank you so much, thank you.

- Mel

[buria-q.livejournal.com]

"Further, as one community leader commented, she was busy fighting stuff that she saw as more germane to their communities, gang violence, foreclosures, poverty, and so didn't see YES on HATe as their problem, because it was not brought home to them that this is particularly germane to their existence."

makes sense. i'm no community leader this was definitely not the biggest thing on my queer issues radar.

[buria-q.livejournal.com]

*but