Posted by Lesfriendly.com - The lesbian blog | Posted in Gay Issues, Politics, Survival | Posted on 05-10-2009
I have not been able to post anything for almost a month, and with that I apologize to the loyal readers of this blog.
Lately, I’ve literally run out of things lesbian to talk about. There have been many things going on.
Like the recent tragedy that befell our family a week ago when typhoon Ondoy (international name Ketsana). The whole Philippines was victimized by a raging typhoon that dumped a week’s worth of rain. If you haven’t heard about it, or for those who are not tired of it yet, the gist of the calamity can be found here:
The floodwater reached the roof of our house and we’ve done nothing but clean and wash everything for the past week. I personally have blow dried photos – only about 10% of my childhood album was recoverable.
With the tragedy that has fallen our country, and many will be mad at me for this thought, but I actually got ashamed that all these years I have been doing nothing but gripe about gay and lesbian rights, devoting thousands of man hours for it, when so many people in our country don’t even have food and shelter.
I’m greatly reconsidering moving my advocacy priority into a greener and more sustainable area – that of saving the earth.
Should lesbiand and gays be refocusing on the green movement?
Climate change has such a big impact on everyone, straight and gay people alike, that if we don’t all fight for it, then there would be no lesbians on earth to even have the basic of rights.
Popularity: 14% [?]
Both are equally important. Who says we gotta choose? I’ve been a feminist AND lesbian activist AND a religious freedom activist AND HIV/AIDS activist AND environmental activist AND reproductive rights activist AND fair trade activist for years and on many other things too. I’m an activist because I fight and believe in the emancipation of all peoples in every regard. And I try to live those principles as much as I can every single day. We are our activisms.
Sorry to hear about the flood nightmare but this should make you much more stronger than ever. Here’s to life!
no. you can’t say that this cause is greater than that cause. there’s no such thing. everything matters. so what? the lgbt community should just sit there and take crap while we fix the environment first? heck, why not make a hierarchy for everything while you’re at it. fix the environment first, before giving women the right to choose, let std flourish before advocating contraceptives, let anti-gay sentiment grow before pushing for gay rights again, ooh, let’s not forget that animal rights are always last. that’s bull, too. yes, you lost a lot to the flood. but i dare you tell someone who’s been beaten up, raped, ridiculed, and rejected by their families for just being themselves that their rights are not so important right now because you need to go and save the polar ice caps from melting.
@Max i accept your dare.
And with staunch and active gay rights activists such as you, i’m sure that gay rights movement will move along just fine without yours truly. Without the flames and rhetoric.
@Queersilver
Indeed, we don’t have all have to choose, and lucky are those who have unlimited time and resources for helping everybody. I’m not saying I’ll have to bash gay rights now while being a treehugger, I’m emphasizing where to allot majority of my time and effort.
As I’ve said above, I’m sure the gay rights movement will move along just fine with more passionate people, like you.
While I couldn’t have said it better than Queersilver has, I’m still going to put in my two pesos.:P
I agree that no advocacy is bigger or smaller than another advocacy. Especially when these are advocacies you are fighting for. All these contribute to a picture of what your life is or what you would like your life to be. To quote Queersilver, “We are our activisms”. And really, who has the right to say that you/your life is bigger or smaller than another?
While I am fortunate enough to not have gone through the tragedy and trauma that you have gone through/are going through, I do understand to an extent where this re-prioritizing is coming from. And I respect that. As, I believe everybody should. It’s a lifestyle choice that everyone is entitled to make. However, this bit saddened me:
“ashamed that all these years I have been doing nothing but gripe about gay and lesbian rights, devoting thousands of man hours for it, when so many people in our country don’t even have food and shelter.”
Ashamed? Please don’t be. While I understand that this is a personal opinion, it does imply that what we are doing is something to be ashamed of. Be proud of what you have done. Of all the doors you have helped prop open in your own ways. Of all these woman-hours and causes you have helped advance. We’re proud of you. And we will always be proud of you while you’re fighting for good, no matter how green or rainbow-y it is.
If you really do decide to leave, I just want you to know that we will miss you. We really will.:) You and your quiet dorky-bangagness that seems to makes sense.:p Haha!:p And maybe you would consider sharing with us the new things you will learn. We might not be able to devote ALL our rainbows on the green movement, but we will at least be able to inculcate more green into our lives. Every little bit helps.:)
Good luck.:) *hugs*
2 points.
1. And with staunch and active gay rights activists such as you, i’m sure that gay rights movement will move along just fine without yours truly. — you just took a step backwards.
2. I’m not saying I’ll have to bash gay rights now — you just did.
good luck with the green thing.
Most gay rights activists are treehuggers and vice-versa. HIV/AIDS activists are human rights activists. Women’s rights activists are anti-war activists. Out Philippines coordinated with Akbayan in their relief mission for Ondoy refugees.
Point is, all activisms are naturally interdependent. You can’t take one out and expect the rest to flourish. There is no hierarchy. There are only more opportunities for a better world.
@Nikki, Max and Queersilver
Thank you for pointing out that I am wrong and coming to the aid of gay and lesbian rights. As I have said, it looks it’s in good hands.
I said I was ashamed because when I’ve spent all that time griping about gay rights and advocacy, I was actually enjoying myself. I was having fun because I liked it – I like fighting for people with the same profiles and needs that I do. And I felt guilty. Shouldn’t I be sacrificing something for the sake of the greater good, at the expense of my personal fulfillment? It’s almost bordering on should I actually be not enjoying, since it is my personal sacrifice for other people – but of course that’s ridiculous.
And quite the contrary, in my dreams I sometimes think that I’ve actually made a difference with those man hours. But sometimes I think it’s just a delusion. And of course no compliments are being fished for here. It’s how I genuinely feel. And it’s quite sad
At the end of the day, I do realize that this is just all a semi-jaded, newly-shook-up rant, flames and rhetoric of some bum that most likely will not be coming true anyway
*sigh*
Anyway, a lot more people definitely have to work together to prevent climate change, and we are all working with a DEADLINE. 5-6 years from now. There is a specific date when everything we do starts to become irreversible. Forever.
And to meet that deadline, changes are relying such on a mass scale of cultural shift that with the current resources they have now, it is almost impossible to think that it will change anything come d-day.
A study I read the other day said people who multitask are actually less productive than those who focus on one specific task at a time. Like when you put a hot blower on a piece of paper, it won’t burn, but if you focus light with a magnifying glass on one specific portion of it, then you have a fire in less than a minute.
I am tempted to apply that to culture and society. What if we could test it? What if it worked? What if prioritization does work? What if we meet this deadline and focus on the other advocacies after?
thanks for patronizing. i’m sure the green advocates would be lucky to have you as well.
Yes, it’s very ridiculous. One doesn’t have to suffer for a greater cause. Sacrifices are not meant to be that literal and life-draining.
Nobody is saying that prioritization is wrong. Quite on the contrary, that is the point. But to even question, if is it still worth fighting for and to state that this is more important than that, then that’s totally illogical.
My advocacies pile up too sometimes and I can’t split myself into many for all of those. I just choose the high-impacting and most convenient one at that point but never have I thought that one is more important than another. Preferences are different from decisions made cos of hierarchy.
This hierarchical approach to issues transcends to their subjects. Saying that the green advocacy is more important than women’s rights is saying, nature is more important that women. Or just like with the Prop2 and Prop8 vote in California, animals are more important than the gays!
To wisdom and surpassing compassion. Amitofo.