Call In Gay Day!

About 25 years ago some friends of mine started stamping all their cash with a red stamp that said "Gay Money". The idea was to demonstrate how much we as LGBT people contributed to the economy. It was a clever idea, but unfortunately it got stopped by the federal government that warned they were defacing money. Perhaps it was a bogus charge, but still it was an idea that sounded good but just didn't get thought through.

I have posted information about "Call In Gay" day (actually a "Day Without a Gay") because I feel it deserves a chance of working. The planning is a bit fast for a real concerted effort. Doing something with another month or two of publicity would be better, but I suppose the idea is to hit during the Christmas shopping rush and to coincide with Human Rights Day.

The website of the protest has the following:

We are asking everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, to help us fight for basic human rights. In reaction to the devastating and inhumane ‘yes’ on Proposition 8, the LBGT community, is asking all Queers and supporters to “call in gay” for ‘Human Rights Day’ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Rights_Day), the 10th of December. The Queer population has suffered social injustice for too long and now is our chance to show the world how much we matter.

December 10th is a Wednesday and we encourage everyone to do nothing to help the economy. We ask that students skip class, teachers cancel class and business owners shut the financial doors for one day. No matter how important your job may be, please “call in gay” to show support on December 10th. Don’t forget to spread the word to everyone you know!

We will make a difference! We will receive the rights we deserve! And we are an important part of the global economy!

So, if you can, make the call and spend the day doing volunteer work with a local LGBT organization or patronize only LGBT owned businesses. No sense in making our own folk suffer and besides, you might meet some other activists who would be fun to hang out with.

Then take a few minutes and write your congresspeople and demand that LGBT citizens be awarded the full rights of citizenship given to our straight brothers and sisters.