Marches and Rallies

One of the first things that happened on this journey of motivational renewal was having the honor of being a part of the Women's March on Washington on January 21, 2017.  I marched in St. Paul, MN, alongside my dear friend Shelley and her longtime friend (and now my friend) Gretchen.  Shelley has been a longtime, fierce advocate for LGBT civil rights, including making phone calls during the 2012 election season in support of defeating Minnesota's anti-marriage amendment (and WE WON that one!!!!)  More recently it's become apparent that women's rights are being targeted more and more, and I told her now it's time for me to have her back.

I've never been to a protest/rally/march like this in my life.  I'm more the "silent" type, and a firm believer that changing hearts and minds comes one heart and one mind at a time, and that it's a long slow process.  And I still believe that.  I've been out for about 12 years now, and every person I encounter in my life is someone I hope to have a positive impact on when it comes to what they think about LGBT people.  That's an ongoing, lifetime process.

But I'm learning the value of "big and loud" now too.  Certainly, the Women's March made a huge statement in Minnesota and across the country.  In St. Paul they expected 20,000 to show up for this, by the end there were over 100,000.  There were similar results across the country.  But there is great value in just seeing that you're not alone, by being surrounded by people who think and feel the same way you do and who want to change the world for the better.  Since the election I've had a really hard time reading news of what's going on in the world, and what's going to happen.  Sometimes I was just sad, sometimes I felt helpless, and most of the time I wonder how things are ever going to change. 

But my attitude has changed since the march.  I can read the news and be "angry" without being depressed or overly emotional.  I don't carry it with me all day long.  And I'm motivated to be a part of the solution.  I've realized that myself, and probably many people who have similar ideals and beliefs, probably got a little complacent in the last 8 years.  It's not necessarily a bad thing - when at least some things actually ARE changing in a positive way, there isn't as much to stand up and fight for, and ultimately that's the kind of world we'd like to see.  But I think the abruptness of this change has caught a lot of us off guard.  And it's easy to get angry and depressed and bitter - unfortunately social media has made it all too easy to get sucked into back-and-forth posts that result in very little actually getting done.

The following weekend was a rally in Rochester in response to the ban on refugees and travel from predominately Muslim countries.  I also attended this rally, and felt much the same way as I did the previous weekend.  There were 1000+ people in attendance, which is a fantastic turnout for a city that only has a population of about 110,000.  There were some great motivational speeches given, but also some very actionable things that we can do to help.  I went away from the rally with a similar boost in energy and motivation.

I am optimistic and hopeful that this will continue, that people will continue to stand up for what they believe in, and be similarly motivated to be the change they want to see.  I'll end with a quote from "The American President" (I wish our government looked like it did in that movie).

"We fight the fights that need fighting."