Mic Check for the Gate Keepers

Any who claim that their work is in the name of justice must be held accountable to remember that justice does not mean "just us" it means ALL OF US! The work of social change is not for the few and/or those with access to greater privilege and resources. It is not acceptable for “gatekeepers” to decide who passes through the doorways of social justice work with acceptable forms of oppression and/or expression of their resistance to injustice.

When told once more to “wait” by those who call themselves allies to the LGBTQ community or those who are members of the LGBTQ community I am reminded of Dr King’s words in his letter from Birmingham, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea."

To silence voices out of fear of what others will think within the realm of social justice work allows the purveyors of injustice to prevail. It allows myths and stereotypes to reign as truths. And the hearts of those told once more to “wait” crack a little wider and a little bit deeper. When Dr King was asked to wait he responded thus, “For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant "Never." We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that "justice too long delayed is justice denied."

I do not claim that our reason for struggle as LGBTQ people is the exact experience as that of African-Americans. There are many vast differences in our experiences here in America. But what is indisputably the same is that simply for being who we are; our humanity has been consistently denied, we have been attacked verbally and physically by pulpits, legislators, bullies and murderers, we must always size up a space and assess its “safeness”, we struggle with employment, housing, medical care and public accommodations, we too have suffered the creation of special laws made to intentionally disenfranchise us and despite our birthright as citizens we are denied full access and responsibilities under the laws of our country.

The frustrations voiced by Dr. King concerning those who called for him to wait, those who wanted him to work only within the “system” these sentiments echo within every fiber of my being as a queer woman working for equality. My tolerance for those asking me to wait, not rock the boat, not upset others in social justice work by asking for LGBTQ inclusion, and to work only within the good old boy system have been ground to dust. There is room for all of our voices, all of our needs. There always has been enough for us all. Ultimately the exclusion of some of us from the tables of justice serves only those who prosper from our internal dissent.  

We must have those difficult conversations within the realms of the social justice arena here in Arkansas. It is by sharing these hard talks, by learning about who we are as people and not "those" people" we better understand our common humanity. We learn that that we move forward together for the good of all. And just as importantly we must hold our own LGBTQ gatekeepers accountable as well. We all bring something to the table. All of our efforts matter and the sooner we get that, the better we will be able to work with and for our beloved communities.