One thing that can be said about the current generation of young gays is that they are a smart and ambitious lot. Eugene Resnick, an openly gay candidate for National Membership Director of the College Democrats, definitely fits that mold. He's focused, savvy and "cliched as it sounds" committed to making a difference.
I had the chance to ask Eugene some questions about being openly gay, youth political involvement and why being a "gay Russian Jew from Brooklyn" can be an asset.
MC: There is more than a little hand-wringing from some older people over what they see as a lack of political involvement from younger people. You are clearly not living up to that image.
ER: I hope that I can make a difference in our society as cliché as that sounds. I want to raise the voice of those who have no voice. I understand what its like to be the one that's counted out. I see many young people who are very engaged and very much care about the society we live in and the changes we need enacted. Our generation understands the complexities ahead and the deep institutional problems that this country has faced.
For us, race, gender and sexuality don't really matter anymore as a factor in judgment of one's character. We are for the most part the first generation that transcends such superficial human traits and sees everyone on the same playing field. I hope to remain active, continue on by earning a higher education in law and public policy, and eventually serve the public by running for office. In the meantime, I hope to do whatever I can to engage my fellow young people in the political process so that they can be active members of our thriving democracy.
What Makes Eugene Run?
MC: Is that why you want to be National Membership Director for the College Democrats?
ER: I am running because I believe I have the foresight, experience, and passion needed to be successful in this position. The National Membership Director position requires an individual with an ability to build coalitions between groups and establish friendships and contacts with people that are not usual coalition partners.
With an election year this year that has so much Democratic enthusiasm for our candidate, Barack Obama, there is so much potential for massive growth in terms of membership in College Democrats organizations throughout the country. We can expand into all 50 states, forming local and state chapters at schools that have never had a College Democrats organization. There are many students across the country who feel ostracized for being a Democrat especially in more conservative regions, and this must end.
At a time with so much enthusiasm for change, there is much potential to be tapped into in terms of youth activism and involvement in politics that has not been seen since the 1960s. The role of the National Membership Director is to spearhead new chapters, get more students involved in College Democrats, and outreach to individuals of all backgrounds to ensure the Democratic Party grows and further diversifies. I believe I can help make that happen.
MC: What are some of the skills and experiences that make you qualified for that role?
ER: I served as Minority and Women's Affairs Coordinator at the University Democrats at the University of Virginia reaching out to various Black, Latino, Asian, LGBT and Women's groups on campus to get them more politically involved and have a voice within the Democratic Party. I formed the first ever statewide College Democrats organization in Virginia bringing together students from across the state to bring to the forefront the voice of college students in the Commonwealth.
My tenure as President of the statewide organization resulted in the recent merger with the Virginia Young Democrats forming a massive young Democratic organization in Virginia poised to register large amounts of new young voters, have their voices heard by getting them to the polls, but mostly importantly have young people engaged in the American political discourse. I currently am interning in Washington, DC with the National Stonewall Democrats specifically working on field operations across the country, helping chapters build membership and outreach along with helping them target certain races this election cycle.
Being Gay Not What it Used to Be
MC: Has been openly gay hurt or helped you in taking on leadership roles with the College Democrats?
ER: Being openly gay has helped me in taking on leadership roles with the College Democrats. My first election was when I ran for Minority and Women's Affairs Coordinator at the University Democrats at the University of Virginia. I ran on the platform of not only being a fresh face, but also by taking ownership of my multiple minority identity. I was the "gay Russian Jew from Brooklyn" running in a race in a majority white, Anglo-Saxon Protestant, institution in the South.
One might think I was tokenized into the minority leadership role, but I stood up as a voice for the LGBT community at the University on the Board of Directors. Now I have risen up the ladder into leadership statewide. I have a large network of friends and colleagues with whom I am politically and academically involved who serve as my support system. I have never felt hindered being openly gay and that is a reflection of how our generation is so vastly different from any other in American history.
MC: What do you say to other young people to help them realize their political power?
ER: Facebook is a powerful tool and it has proven to be an extremely effective way of mobilizing people to become involved in a cause. I tell other young people I meet who may be cynical or wary of politics if at all interested is that that they have a stake in society. Young people today are vastly different from generations before and there are a multitude of problems that this country is facing today that need to be fixed and we are the generation to make it happen. We are over the race divisions of the 50s and 60s and the gay baiting of the 80s and 90s. We grew up with gay Student Body Presidents, blacks and whites, Latinos and Asians sitting at the same table, and females occupying a majority of the education system. We are Generation Y.
I let people know that there must be an issue that affects them whether its outrageous gas prices, denial of their civil rights as gay or black or Latino or an immigrant, predatory student loans that haunt students for years to come, high college costs, difficulty getting health insurance as a young independent person, or having their friends or family member die for a war that was poorly executed and under false pretenses. I tell them that they have a stake in this election and in the future with all these issues that impact them one way or another.
During both my trips to Pride, and the Be-Bar I met QT ATAC, which is organizing a series of queer and trans friendly events in DC. QT ATAC, is a collective of queer and trans folk organizing in DC to help improve the queer and trans community though July by setting up at least one if not several events each day in DC each day. So far they've had some really good events, and they'll definitely have more. If you're thinking of going to their events, which I recommend please note that they have marked on their site which locations are wheelchair accessible, and which are open to allies. Read More »
I just had the awesome privilege of witnessing the last evaaar show of DC local band Secrets between Sailors. These four queer ladies play a lovely, strummable, hummable blend of what they call "Raw Cuddle Core," but we're losing three of the members to the Bay Area. Read More »
4 out of 5 LGBT students report verbal, sexual or physical harassment at school, according to a GLSEN survey.
Today, April 25th, 2008, marks the 12th Annual Day of Silence, a day where students vow to take a pledge of silence to commemorate anti-LGBT violence and bullying and work to make campuses safe for people of all gender and sexual identities.
I'm already nervous about the scary comments this post will generate...
Transgender male, Thomas Beatie, writes a first person narrative at The Advocate detailing the personal, legal, and social hurdles he faces now that he's decided to carry the child of his wife, Nancy.
A 15–year-old gay student, Lawrence King, was shot by a classmate in Oxnard, California on Tuesday morning (approximately 60 miles north of Los Angeles and 40 miles south of Santa Barbara).
San Jose State University's President put all campus blood drives on hold because of the policy that gay men can't donate blood. He says this violates the school's nondiscrimination policy.
I’m so great to see that the Queer Student Union (QSU) and the Campus Democrats at the University of California, Santa Barbara co-sponsored a highly successful ENDA rally last Tuesday.
One of the bloggers over at ENDAblog has responded critically to the arguments I made last Friday about a trans-inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act. The blogger's criticism boils down to this question: "How long does someone who will benefit from the coverage of a non-trans-inclusive law"--that's me--"think it is reasonable for those left out to wait?"
I don't think there's a "reasonable" amount of time for transgender people to wait for employment protections. They, as well as every other progressive American, should be mad that gender-identity protections had to be stripped from ENDA for the bill to pass through the House. I wish we lived in a country where passing a trans-inclusive ENDA would be a no-brainer. For that matter, I wish we lived in a country where ENDA wasn't needed at all, because discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identification didn't exist. Read More »
Tomorrow is the 9th Annual Transgender Remembrance Day, a day set aside to commemorate the lives lost due to anti-transgender violence and to raise awareness of the physical and verbal violence inflicted upon transgender individuals on a daily basis. Read More »
A high school in Davis, California crowned a gay couple as the "princes" of the school's homecoming. And this happened without a hitch - no complaints, no outrage, just support.
Stories like this make me remember why I identify as a "progressive" - because progress is possible. And it's happening.
Sick of Apex, Cobalt, Halo, BeBar, and JR's? Good, I am too. As much as our tried and true gay venues serve us well all year long, sometimes there needs to be something a little bit different. This is where Guerilla Queer Bar comes in.
Started in San Francisco (where else?), Guerilla Queer Bar chapters around the country regularly find a fun straight bar and take it over, completely unannounced. This has the effect of not only going to a new venue, but also of putting people in interesting situations in which they end up being more...social.
Like an worthwhile city, the District has its very own Guerilla Queer Bar chapter, and this month's outing is tomorrow night. Here's the details:
Guerilla Queer Bar DC @ Rocket Bar, 714 7th Street, NW in Chinatown Friday, July 20, 2007 9pm, 21 and Over, No Coverwww.rocketbardc.com
It's actually somewhat important to show up on time to these things, in case the bar is hostile and the crowd decides to pick up and move to another location. The night should, however, be quite excellent, and will at the very least be a break from what you're used to.
As an openly gay man, I feel compelled to express my views on gay pride parades specifically after attending the Washington DC Capital Pride Parade last Saturday with a few friends. You may hear a lot of criticism from older LGBT people of these events but its rare to find it coming from a young, politically active college student. Before I proceed, dont get me wrong, I will point out the faults of gay pride parades but the actual presence of a parade is necessary for visibility and eventual absorbance into the mainstream of society, which I for one believe the gay community has pretty much reached more or less (as Time magazine famously stated recently with their title "Yup, She's Mainstream" in reference to Ellen DeGeneres.)
I will also point out that my sheer disappointment in DC Pride may have been related to the relatively underwhelming performance of the parade itself in comparison to New York City extravagent Pride which is where I am from. But this isnt the heart of the matter. The frustration and disgust that I feel as a person who constantly hopes for LGBT Equality and Marriage is perpetuated by these images within "the gay community."
Gay Pride Parades are probably the only time in your life that you will find on public display LGBT senior citizens walking in front of a Big Bear float with hairy and practically naked older men who are in front of a delegation of PFLAG members (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), behind a cotingency of "marriage equality" holding 5 year olds with their two moms behind a transsexual with her large, fake, plastic breasts literally out in the open. I am a die-hard liberal with a little L, and a Progressive meaning I do believe in free expression, however, I just feel there is a line between freedom of expression and indecency. Call me conservative, but I just dont find it appropriate for transsexuals with their breasts hanging and men with their penises practically in the air next to small children holding sings that say " I love my two daddies." Its just revolting.
That isnt even that worst aspect of these events. Are we not trying to stop discrimination, prejudice, hatred, ignorance and bigotry? Arent we all on the same team? How is it that such events aimed at visibility are supposed to increase acceptance when stereotypes of gays being ultraeffeminate and sexual deviants are strongly perpetuated by such public displays? Yes, we can exhibit free expression of the variations of genders, sexes and sexual orientations. That is completely fine. But how is it OK to have children as young as toddlers in the same parade as such revolting images? I just dont see how a hairy, 50 year old man in his leather hat and strap ons is beneficial to the greater struggle of acceptance, awareness, and equality under the law.
I have no problem with drag queens and kings. It displays the open expression of femininity and masculinity. However, since when does being LGBT have anything to do with open expression of one's distorted overweight body? Since when does being LGBT have anything to do with women showing their bare breasts to hoardes of crowds some of which look on at the parade as if it were a circus act (one example being my moderately conservative Soviet immigrant parents.) Do you see Puerto Rican women showing their bare breasts during the Puerto Rican Day Parade? Or do you see Vietnam Veterans waving their penises in the air during Memorial Day celebrations? I just dont see the correlation between being part of the LGBT community and sexual perversion. That is exactly what our opponents attack us and label us as and we cannot move forward at a greater pace until gay pride becomes a celebration of our families, our friends, our neighbors, our accomplishments, our identity, and our culture.
If we continue to focus on the sexual aspects of sexual orientation, which I find to be irrelevant when it comes to LGBT Equality since Privacy Rights should be guaranteed and the government should have no role in your personal sex life, then we face the risk of creating a backlash against all the work that we have worked tirelessly to achieve.
Not all stereotypes are true. But some are perpetuated and directly influenced by the afflicted community and it is our duty as LGBT individuals to stand up and demand decency in celebration of who we are as a people. We dont need to have these gut-wrenching images of obese men and women running naked in the streets to show our pride in ourselves. Im not saying we need to conform to "mainstream heterosexual society" and lose a lot of the features that make LGBT individuals different. All I hope for is that we showcase our determination and will to move forward with pride in a universally clean and beneficial way not through bare breasts but through words, actions, and love.
Hello District – my name is Brad and I’m very happy to be writing for SoCap this summer, mostly because it makes me feel like one of the cool kids, but also because when I tell people about cool events and parties, they’re much less likely to suck due to poor attendance. I’m going to cover mostly events on the Hill, great music, and LGBT nightlife, which brings me to the point of this post…
(P.S., did you notice that all the pictures on our “Bios” page are totally sporting the angles? Gotta love anonymity.)
This week is Pride here in the nation’s capital, the one magical week of the year when we celebrate the singing drag queens swinging parking meters that rioted for our rights in June of 1969 and pretend that we’re as gay as New York. As you would expect, there are a number of events this weekend (and some that sadly passed before SoCap’s launch).
I’ve identified three and a half that are actually worth attending. They are (below the jump):
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