After watching the film on gay. lesbian, and transgendered people, I e-mailed my friend who is involved with the documentary March On, about gay and Lesbian rights. What I got was that it is not only a fight for the right of gays and Lesbians, but a fight for equality for everyone in our nation. The problem isn't singular, it is everyone including ourselves for letting the government, ad agencies, the population get away with this inappropriate behavior.
Can you just tell me a little about your involvement in the documentary and the March in D.C.?
On October 11, 2009, the National Equality March took place in Washington, DC. I was there as the Audio Field Engineer for an independent documentary titled, 'March On'. In which, we followed five families on their journey to Washington, as well as shedding light on the core issues facing the equal rights movement in America today.
What is the main cause of the movement, what are they fighting to achieve?
"No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws"
...that's the 14th amendment to the constitution, that's essentially what we want.
How do you think this will affect America's identity, if it will at all?
Outside the US, any forward movement will be viewed as something that should have occurred long ago. A vast majority of other 'advanced' countries already have these laws in place...Meanwhile, our self-identity, in my opinion can only get better. Right now, It's much easier for a bully to justify his actions and intolerance when our own military doesn't allow an entire demographic of citizens to serve.
Did your opinion change or what did you learn from your involvement in contrast to your original thoughts on gay rights?
Before I arrived in DC, I did not really understand what was going on. Their problems didn't affect me directly as a straight, white male. Now, after learning about the issues, I'm of the opinion that it's not so much a gay/straight thing as it is a human rights issue. No one is equal until everyone is equal.
What do you think are the main pressures gay persons feel from American society?
It's difficult for me to answer this question, because I can not pretend that I understand what it's like to be ostracized and misunderstood by my friends, family, co-workers, etc...I guess the main problem we have to face as a united movement is the fact that most people just plain do not understand what is at stake.
No comments:
Post a Comment