From: rakngltf@aol.com Date: Tue, 26 Apr 94 15:55:54 EDT IN SEARCH OF A SILVER BULLET: MAGIC MESSAGES AND STRONG MOVEMENTS Opinion by Robert Bray National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Fight the Right Media Coordinator (415)552-6448 RXB NGLTF@AOL.COM With only seven months until D-Day, "D" as in possible Discrimination, the heat is rapidly rising on the anti-gay initiatives slated for the November ballot in at least seven states. Campaign strategists around the country are frantically searching for an illusive magic bullet that will slay the Far Right dragon threatening to devour our civil rights. They're looking for an effective media and campaign "message" -- a silver bullet -- that will win votes and defeat initiatives. But is that the ultimate goal, just to win a campaign battle? What about the overall war? Simply winning a vote returns us to the status quo. We fight with all our strength just to keep what we have, which is insufficient in the first place. Win or lose in November, the current battles and choice of tactics have far reaching significance for our movement. Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Michigan, Missouri, Oregon and Washington have official anti-gay initiatives. More states may follow. The initiatives repeal laws that ban discrimination against gays, lesbians and bisexuals, and prohibit passage of such laws in the future. The measures are misleadingly framed as "no special rights" and "no protected minority status." National and local message polling around these measures reveals fascinating results. First, we face a tough battle in defeating the initiatives. We are confronted with a U.S. public that mainly sees us, and our "lifestyle," as unacceptable and immoral. Our "negatives" range from 50 to 77 percent. Second, a majority erroneously believe we are already covered against discrimination by the U.S. Constitution, and we do not suffer prejudice. Hence, we seek special protections. Opinion is split at best about whether protective legislation is even necessary. Plus, many people polled subscribe to the "don't ask, don't tell" mindset: Gays are okay as long as they don't make it an issue. Paradoxically, this high level of disapproval is accompanied by an equally strong (75 percent) belief that discrimination against us is wrong. And voters who personally know someone gay tend to be more supportive. Messages promoted by our opponents about special rights, government-forced acceptance of homosexuality, and the lack of "gay disadvantage" are cited most often by voters who support anti-gay measures. Our side's messages about job discrimination ring well with voters who oppose the measures. That's the brew of opinion that campaign strategists must cook into a winning strategy for political campaigns against the initiatives. Political campaigns, out of necessity, are run by hard working people in war room-like settings. Campaign officials call the shots. The best campaigns find roles for everyone, but often there is minimal decision-making input from the community at large. The goal is short-term victory. Some campaign battles are fought in states without established gay, lesbian and bisexual organized communities. The campaign, in effect, becomes the "movement," a receptacle for the hopes, dreams, anger and frustration of people struggling for dignity. But after the vote the campaign office closes. Managers move on. Volunteers are let go. Campaigns cannot win ultimately what we want. They cannot contain all that we are. Without a fortified movement in place a tremendous vacuum forms that can cause frustration, division and burnout. I say we must strategically organize with long-term progressive social change in mind -- with the idea of not only winning elections but also building a stronger movement. A movement that will be around much longer than special rights rhetoric. An anti-racist movement that embraces the struggles for women's equality and social and economic injustice. A movement that stands for freedom and equality. A movement that's part of a broad based, united front capable of vanquishing the Far Right dragon now and in the future. No matter how effective our messages, how savvy our spin, years of homophobia cannot be unlearned during an eight-month campaign. That requires long-term commitment well beyond November. We didn't choose these initiatives, the Far Right did. But we can chose to make these attacks opportunities for building a true community-based and empowered movement. Or we can put all our hopes and resources into a silver bullet and hope we don't draw a blank. Robert Bray is NGLTF Fight the Right Media Organizer.