Calling for Equality, First Night
The last time I phone banked it was on behalf of Governor Corzine. We all know how well that went. In light of his recent re-emergence in the news, I’m not so sure his losing was a bad thing ~ although at least I would likely have been married by now. But whether his losing was good or bad is irrelevant. He lost. Governor Christie won. And whether you love him or hate him or find yourself somewhere in the middle is also irrelevant. He is our governor. And for the past few years I have found myself a somewhat inactive activist. We have a governor who has said that he would veto a marriage equality bill out of hand and not enough votes to override the veto. End of story.
I do not know the machinations that brought marriage equality, seemingly quite suddenly, up again in the New Jersey legislature. I do not know the machinations that have gotten the bill fast tracked for a vote. Nor do I know the machinations of Governor Christie’s apparent softening – for him – on the issue. I don’t know and I don’t care. Whatever the reasons, we have another opportunity to take the ball into the end zone. The bill has been introduced. It is time for the activists to be active. We have been roused from our Christie hibernation.
Last night was our first phone banking session ~ the beginning of Garden State Equality and the Human Rights Campaign’s push in New Jersey to finally see marriage equality become a reality. We call our supporters and ask that they, in turn, call their representatives with the message that New Jersey’s LGBT couples deserve to be treated equally under the law ~ they should be able to get married.
The truth is that I hate phone banking. I hate bothering people in the evening, in their homes, with their families, enjoying what is probably a small island of relaxation in an otherwise hectic day. I feel like I’m intruding. But I hold my breath and I wrinkle my nose like I’m taking some bad tasting medicine and I call. I call because it is something to do. I call because I find that I can not sit home and hope when there is work to be done. I call because there is truth to be spoken and there are changes to be made. I call. And I call. And I call. One tiny call at a time that sometimes seems not to be moving the world in the slightest. I call. Some people are rude. Some people hang up. Some people have no idea why we are calling or what Garden State Equality or the Human Rights Campaign is. I call. I call to spread information, because most people don’t know what’s going on in Trenton. I call because most people don’t truly understand that their representatives will listen to them – and that they tally calls on every issue in “for” and “against” columns. I call because fear is a successful motivating factor for our opponents and because they use it to great advantage. I call because good people are too often silent. I call because the voice of the government should not be one more voice that bullies our LGBT children and reinforces the ignorance of bigots. I hate to call. But I call because our opponents have no such aversion. I call. Because you never know which call will be one that changes the world just a little.
I call for equality.
