Day 66
We had a great interview today with queer activist, Mark Snyder. Mark is the founder of the online queer forum and activism powerhouse, QueerToday.com. He started QueerToday nine years ago, in 2000, when few organizers were utilizing online tools. Mark’s work focuses on coalition building and liberation of all oppressed people.
Mark is kind of a personal hero of mine. I’ve known him for about five years. He lived in Boston before moving to San Francisco last year. While Mark and I have not always agreed on every issue, I have learned a great deal from him and his writings on QueerToday.com. Conversations with Mark helped me form my own ideas about the importance of a queer movement with a broader focus than just marriage for gays and lesbians. Mark has always spoken up when he sees something that is wrong. That is what I admire most about him. He sometimes takes criticism for speaking out, but no matter what, he is always there, saying what needs to be said.
Mark sees the queer movement as more than just the fight for marriage equality. It is a fight for queer youth being bullied in schools and kicked out of their homes, for employment and housing protections, for fair and humane treatment of immigrants, for health care, and of course also for equal relationship recognition. All of these issues affect members of our community. He sees the movement as something larger than just acceptance for LGBT people. He is constantly teaching me the difference between liberation and assimilation. Mark is a great teacher and an important part of our movement.
If you like what we are doing, please help us continue the project by making a contribution.
(This video was taken with the ‘behind-the-scenes’ blog camera and is not the actual footage for the documentary.)
Driving Equality 