The LGBT Activism Blues (or Pinks! Or Purples!)

by Amanda Benton | Published Online on February 01, 2011

So there I was - staring at row after row of dog leashes, arguing with myself on what color would be the most appropriate for my pug, Lotus. Pink would be gender-stereotyping her and so would blue if I chose to be so bold. So obviously, the choice should be obvious - Purple, since it means anti-LGBT bullying, right? This may sound odd to you, I know, but it’s important to me because I want to be as inclusive as possible at all times.

This is what my life has become now that I am an activist. No matter how small a decision, it always goes back to what I’ve just read about on a blog, from a friend, at a meeting, or on the news. There seems to be this constant conversation going on in my mind about what is fair, what isn’t politically correct, and if whether the person I’m speaking to has a connection to the community.

My best friend is always asking me, “So, what ‘gay’ stuff are you doing this weekend?” He means, of course, what local meeting I will be attending, what company I will be boycotting, or whose office I will be protesting outside this time. I run in large circles, but some of my closest friends are not activists and could care less about anything that is happening in the LGBT world. This puts me in a weird spot sometimes and makes me question my boundaries. When is being an activist too much? And for that matter, should I censor myself when a LGBT person says or does something inappropriate? Is it even my place to do so?

It feels great when friends come to me wanting to know more about a current issue, but there’s always that little voice nagging at me not to come off knowing more than them. It’s awkward sometimes being the only ally at an event, because I know there are more allies out there. And then, I have to be the torchbearer for the straight community, and I feel constantly judged. I have made plenty of mistakes along the way, and have said some pretty dumb things.

But I wouldn’t trade the life I live now for anything in the world. When people ask me what I like to do for fun, I say, “Organize a protest!” I can’t even count how many stores and organizations will never see a penny from me because they’re anti-LGBT. And let’s not even get into how crazy I am for moving downtown just so I can be close to the Strip!

This article appeared in the February 2011 of ignite Magazine.