Highlights and interviews from the Fair is Fair in Montana Tour
10 days, 7 cities, and 1300 miles
The tour was co-sponsored by Truth in Progress & ACLU of Montana to gain and organize support for FAIRNESS for domestic partnerships in Montana.
As we traveled across the state, Truth in Progress spoke with members of the LGBT and Two Spirit communities as well as allies about the intersection of race, sexual orientation, gender identity, and religion. Here is some extraordinary footage representing the diversity of Montana and insights from those who fight for fairness and equality.
Marilyn discusses the tangible contributions Truth in Progress and the Fair is Fair in Montana Tour make to the larger LGBTQI equality movement and whatever the so-called "Gay Agenda" is. The discussion on race, sexual orientation, gender identity, and religion is a key element of the national work as well as church and clergy organizing.
Ninia Baehr, LGBT Advocacy Coordinator for the ACLU of Montana, describes how we were able to expand the conversation beyond those who are already supportive of it.
Just tuning in to Truth in Progress. Click here to get more information about the Fair is Fair in Montana Tour co-sponsored with the ACLU of Montana.
We've had a few videos from the Fair is Fair in Montana Tour of Gil and Ninia describing their tour cohorts. I want to take this opportunity to describe Gil, his strategic work on the tour, some behind the scenes incidents, and his amazing unflagging commitment to the LGBT equality movement.
I've included stories of our time in Helena so let's get some fun facts about Helena before the video clip!
-Helena was founded with the July 14, 1864 discovery of gold in a gulch off the Prickly Pear valley by the "Four Georgians". About $3.6 billion (in today's dollars) of gold was taken from Helena's main street over a 20-year period.
-In 1888 Helena had more millionaires per capita than any other city in the world.
More fun facts: -Gary Cooper (1901 - 1961) was born in Helena.
-In Helena, Montana it is illegal to throw an item across a street.
-In 1884, the citizens of Montana Territory were fed up with lawlessness and forming a large-scale vigilante force, they executed thirty-five horse and cattle thieves that year. Helenans, stil celebrate "Vigilante Day." Helena teenagers every spring get a day off from school to build floats for the Vigilante Parade, which the longest running, non-corporate sponsored parade in the United States.
Just tuning in to Truth in Progress. Click here to get more information about the Fair is Fair in Montana Tour co-sponsored with the ACLU of Montana.
We met with Eden and Claude in their Pinewood Studios during our time in Missoula. What an amazing and magical time we had!
Gil has come up with a new FAIR IS FAIR IN MONTANA TOUR question: if you were to choose a karaoke song that represents your justice struggle/perspective, what would it be? Here's ours though we found professionals to sing while Gil and I moved, and I realized that I cannot spell R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
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Truth in Progress is co-sponsoring with the ACLU of Montana the FAIR IS FAIR Montana Tour September 17-26, 2011, to promote same-sex relationship recognition. Why are we focusing on Montana? Here are some reasons!
Laura W. Murphy, Director of ACLU Washington Legislative Office, talks about why legislative action on social issues in the state of Montana is significant to the rest of the country.
Footage by Robin Marlowe
TIP Coverage of District Court Hearing of Donaldson and Guggenheim vs. State of Montana in front of the Honorable Judge Jeffrey Sherlock, January 25, 2011.
Montana has no statewide system for recognizing same-sex relationships. As a result, same-sex couples and their families are denied access to the basic protections that the state grants to opposite-sex married couples. The ACLU is working to remedy the unfairness through Donaldson and Guggenheim v. State of Montana, a lawsuit seeking domestic partnerships for committed, loving couples. The case is in front of the Montana Supreme Court.
Montana State Senator Christine Kaufmann talks about how the struggle for black civil rights and LGBT civil rights aren't the same but the fight for equality is.
Together Mary Leslie and her partner Stacey Haugland of Bozeman, MT, make up one of six couples filing a suit against the state of Montana for denying their rights of privacy, dignity, pursuit of life's necessities, equal protection and due process as guaranteed in the state constitution. Basically the goal of the lawsuit Donaldson and Guggenheim v. State of Montana is to see that same-sex couples are able to protect their families with the same kind of legal protections that opposite-sex couples are offered through marriage.
Mary Leslie speaks here about why she is involved in the lawsuit and what has been the public's reaction to her.
Video footage by Robin Marlowe.
TRUTH IN PROGRESS is documenting this lawsuit through the eyes of Jan Donaldson and Mary Anne Guggenheim. We'll have exciting news to announce very soon about how TiP will be joining forces with ACLU MT to educate the public about relationship recognition.
Montana joins Selma and Birmingham, AL, and soon San Francisco and New York City as ongoing story lines of the larger LGBT Equality Movement that TiP is following!
Gil's story of how he came to be an ally/advocate and reflections on the distinctions between the Civil Rights Movement and the LGBTQ Equal Rights Movement.
On the National Day of Silence hundreds of thousands of students nationwide take a vow of silence to bring attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in their schools. Members of the Helena High School Gay-Straight Alliance in Helena, Montana recognize those who deserve to be heard but are silenced out of fear for safety and harassment.
Send Truth in Progress your links to what you are doing in your high school. What do you do when you see a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person being harassed? It's not always easy to know what to do in the moment. What's it like to be the target of anti-gay slurs? How have you gotten through it? Wherever you live, let us hear from you. Put the silence aside, it's time to hear YOUR VOICE!
What Helena High GSA students had to say about their experience of the Day of Silence:
"It was touching to see so many people wearing red and silently advocating for LGBT rights. It felt wonderful to show people that we are here and we will support the gay community at Helena High."
"It was extremely difficult to remain silent for the whole day, but I felt surprisingly accepted and appreciated. Most people were understanding and were in accordance with the movement. If they weren't, I didn't know for no one spoke out against my actions."
"I didn't speak and it was hard. And I ended up cheating. One kid told me that gay equals stupid when I was putting my books in my locker. Some people were accepting, but I felt somewhat laid bare. Not speaking while using a notepad seemed ineffective; next time I won't use a notepad or will speak."
"I had a lot of people ask what it was for and why I was participating. It was difficult but I enjoyed the challenge. Some people also made fun of the cause openly to me which was upsetting."
"Day of Silence went so-so. Most people were extremely curious as to why I was not speaking, and I only had one example of being put down for doing it. Once I explained (the next day) why I kept silent many people supported my point of view. Overall it was very encouraging."
"I did speak but I wore red the whole day. A lot of my friends did it, and it was surprising how a lot of people were encouraging my friends. I also heard people saying bad things, but in general everybody accepted it."
"I thought that we received more respect this year during Day of Silence than the past few years. I saw a few people who obviously disapproved, but I did not directly receive rude comments. It was an interesting experience."
"I thought it was effective because students around the school that were not aware of gay straight alliance found out the importance while witnessing numerous students fight back words for the whole day."
"It definitely helped raise awareness about GSA and raised attention to the discrimination of gays."
