Taking It To The Streets

It’s been just over one week since the 2008 election and I don’t think any of us could have anticipated the maelstrom of fury that has developed since Nov. 4. The sheer joy that many of us felt when Sen. Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States was compromised by the passage of Prop. 8 that will change the state constitution to eliminate our right to marry. Needless to say, most of us are mad as hell.

We’re gathering at rallies to listen to motivating speeches by our leaders and marching in the streets in protest. It’s been a real call to arms for the LGBT community and many of us feel energized and are unifying to fight back. A new age of activism has been born.

I’m sure my mailbox isn’t the only one that’s constantly filled with e-mailed lists of businesses that should be boycotted and names of leaders and other minority groups who deserve the blame. While I wholeheartedly support taking our dollars away from those who contributed to a campaign that denies us equal rights, I hope we can proceed with caution. I’ve received so much contradictory information and my rudimentary investigation skills have been put to the test to determine whether the person who donated to the Yes on 8 campaign was actually the owner of the business. I hope you agree that while we do need to hold someone accountable we don’t want to unnecessarily harm the livelihood of innocent members of our community employed by these businesses. There’s so much information to sort through so to help you keep updated, we’ve compiled a reference guide for Prop. 8 protesting on page 16.

This was scheduled to be our annual “Good Eats” issue, which offers dining suggestions and celebrates new trends in cuisine, but in view of the unrest in our community, we decided to reduce this as our editorial focus and assign editorial related to Prop. 8. We asked three writers with significant experience as activists to contribute commentaries that reflect some of the most pressing questions we’ve been hearing. You can read them beginning on page 31.

Finally, anyone looking for a role model amidst all this turmoil can do no better than late gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk. I’ve had the fortune of seeing Milk, out director Gus Van Sant’s film bio, twice already. Van Sant and screenwriter Dustin Lance Black really get the story exactly right and even the least savvy of moviegoers can draw a parallel between the zeitgeist moment in late 1970s San Francisco depicted in the film and what’s happening in our own city right now. It’s a story that will resonate with everyone who’s been out there protesting since the election. The film goes into limited release on Nov. 26 so please go see it and be even more inspired to fight for equality than you already are. Before then, read our interview with Black on page 101.

I’m certain you will find this issue informative and inspiring and as always, I welcome your feedback. Write in to letters@frontierspublishing.com to let us know what you think.

Yours,

Jeremy Kinser
Editor in Chief