What a busy weekend! I took the day off today, and I feel like I could use another. We had a very good turnout yesterday for the GLBT community activist meeting. I wasn't thinking very deeply and grabbed the "Every time you see a rainbow, God is having gay sex" t-shirt. In my own defense, I was frantic as we were also putting the newsletter to bed, and I was having all kind of PC problems, and knew that I had to get stuff working for Deb to be able to finish up. This was pressing against picking up Steve Glassman from the Avalon to chair the meeting.
Michelle was kind enough to open the church for us. Rev. Steve had indicated that the Druids would be by at 5:30, which would be the last half hour of the meeting. I walked out, and happened to see my friend TJ drive up in a WICU car. I was perplexed, because I wasn't sure if he was just early for the Druid thing, or if he was there to film us.
Oops! It was to film us. I was totally not thinking that we would get media coverage. Steve Glassman spoke. Then Steve ever so diplomatically suggested that I might want to consider zipping up my jacket, as the text on the shirt might be a tad too provocative. So, I said some stuff, and then TJ asked if there was anything else I wanted to mention. Duh! I took the hint and mentioned about the Pride Picnic in 2 weeks. I asked if anyone else in the room wanted to speak, or would even be up for being in a crowd shot, but everyone else was not up for it.
As much as I joke about being a media whore, I really regard speaking publicly pretty much like brushing my teeth; it's a necessity to get stuff done. It's neither some wildly joyful nor an onerous curse. It just is something that needs doing. The only way to get new folks aware that there is a local community and to help other folks understand, is to be a face or a voice or something that is real/tangible.
Later in the meeting, a few folks were wondering why we didn't have more people present. When I thought about it later, I was almost getting angry that folks weren't making the connection between being visible and how that lets people become aware that there is an actual GLBT community right here in Erie. (I.e. "You mean, why isn't there a way that we can make people aware, by maybe, oh, let's say, something that they already are likely to be looking at in their living room??!!!") I know that not everyone is comfortable with this, but sometimes, you just have to suck it up and do what needs to be done.
Sorry for going off on a rant.
