Hello,
I hope that upon visiting my blog you find some interest in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (lgbt) organizing. I have largely created these pages in the hopes of inspiring people to become involved in community organizing and activism. Your concern for the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (lgbt) people can likely have a great impact on your and our lives.
This blog is more a retrospection of the community organizing I have done within the lgbt community. You will see that much of the work is volunteer and that my great friend Brendan Fay has played a key, inspirational role. For nearly twenty-five years Brendan and I have drawn from each other's passion for activism. As you will see in these pages, Brendan and I have worked on issues related to homophobia, ethnic pride and same-sex marriage.
Up until a little over 10 years ago I had had no formal training in community organizing. I have found that, while study and training can sharpen your skills in this work, it is ultimately your belief in your right to self-determination, respect, and full equality before the law, that will be the driving force in this line of work. It is often grueling work, sometimes rewarding, and most definitely, in the long run, a good step in the long-term goal of realizing our collective dreams of equality and appreciation for our people and culture.
I trust that somewhere in these pages you will find some encouragement. I state this because I firmly believe that you will learn that oftentimes good things can come from dire situations. While you might agree that I was fairly disadvantaged in my youth, you will find that despite my poor upbringing, I was extremely fortunate in meeting people like Brendan Fay and others who influenced my life and outlook on lgbt matters. But first, it is important that I attempt to convey my early life and how, I believe, I became involved in lgbt activism.
As many lgbt people attest to, I too felt different at an early age. While I had a crush on a girl all throughout grade school, it was others boys' company that I relished. I somewhat excelled in sports. I had a number of close friends. I even warded off the bullying that other boys attempted to inflict on me when they either mistook my sensitivity and shy disposition for helplessness or envied my popularity with other boys. I largely attribute this fortune to my mom, Amelia Cruz. She instilled in my siblings and I a sense of self-respect and a responsibility to treat others as you'd like to be treated yourself. In the culture of the South Bronx we learned to defend ourselves, to yearn and work toward a better future, and to believe in the possible. Of greatest value: we learned that no matter what our wealth, gender, intellect, physical or mental prowess, or sexual orientation, self-love and love to others, trumps all.
Also of influence in my life were the people I came to meet while working at the now defunct Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop. Craig Rodwell was larger than life. An activist himself, Craig worked for the Mattachine Society and is known for being one of the founders (in 1970) of what we now refer to as LGBT Pride Day. Craig also had the foresight to open the bookshop, which is known as having been the world's first. I was very, very fortunate to work here 8 years, the latter 4 years as manager. It was through this work environment that I honed my love of gay people. The men and women of our community are beautiful, good people. We deserve so much more than what we've been handed. And Craig knew and shared this knowledge through his bookshop.
There were others: Ellen Turner, Carl Goodman, Andy Humm, Jana Barber, Kim Edwards, and, as mentioned previously, Brendan Fay.
