One of the things I love about science fiction is that it imagines what humanity could look like in the future and puts into art. It depicts hope for the future of humanity, at least the kind I like. There’s certainly plenty of distopian sci-fi. In a way, it’s also commentary on today but set in the future. A commentary that we can do better. We can make “a more perfect union.” It means so many things for so many people. What if we could imagine a future where we can all thrive together, fight for each other, even for the kinds of people that tend to throw sticks and stones (supporting violence). Isn’t that a world you’d like to live in? What if you could bring along people to that future even when they don’t know you’re fighting for that future for them. A future where money doesn’t exist. One that is driven by human desire to explore? Bettering ourselves through science rather than the pursuit of greed and corruption? Isn’t that the difference between utopia and distopia? Come be a part of MY tribe, even if you don’t believe it. I’ll believe in it for the both of us so we can be stronger together. That is the love I seek and my belief that connectedness and building community can heal. Let’s be whole, as a global tribe.
The Math Behind Americans Facing Economic Inequality
Activism isn’t just getting out there and doing something. There’s a lot of context around what’s right and what’s wrong. A lot of “consumerist” activism is wrong like charity vs empowerment. Charity displaces local entrepreneurship and forces people to depend on charity ie Toms Shoes. To really understand the biggest threat to America, we have to understand the Freakanomics behind it. Here’s why income inequality is the problem we should be tackling and the numbers showing how trickle-down economics and trickle-down education has failed us:
Better schools won’t fix America: How fighting inequality must come first.
For many years after the Great Depression (1930’s), we began using unemployment as a measure of the economic health of an economy. Since then, as noted in the above article, things have changed:
A Guide to Statistics on Historical Trends in Income Inequality
Unemployment’s value as a measure of economic health no longer reflects the value it once did:
Almost half of US families can’t afford basics like rent and food
As we enter an age where machines and AI are lower cost than human beings, capitalism will always optimize for removing labor. If human being will no longer be able to provide the means of production, what does human civilization look like? Does it look like socialism? Or does it look like something that science fiction has already depicted for years? For conservatives trying to hold back the future, they are ill-prepared by saying things are off the table just because they’re “different.” The status quo will lead to ruin of America as well as all other global economies.
LGBT People Face Prejudice
As we build a more equitable society, we also get to build a society that is just, at the same time. They are interconnected and cannot be fixed alone. Although it’s not a contest, many people think that race is still a big issue in this country but I would argue that all marginalities are as important as ever. We get to work on a just society that is just for race, religion or gender:
L.G.B.T. People Are More Likely to Be Targets of Hate Crimes Than Any Other Minority Group
Many believed that the 14th amendment’s equal protection clause in the US Constitution doesn’t protect gender, specifically transgender and sexual orientation. It wasn’t until the 1950’s that enforcement started to happen regarding racial segregation, the 1970’s for women’s right to an abortion and the 2010’s for same-sex couples to marry. To this day, the struggle for the equal protection promised in the 14th amendment continues.
Transgender People of Color Are Especially Vulnerable
The SESTA\FOSTA Act is having a chilling effect on the Internet, specifically, making it harder for transgender people in the sex trade. As much of an attempt as it was to protect women from becoming victims, it has effectively criminalized many transgender people. Trans people who have experienced adverse job outcomes, such as job loss or demotion, as a result of their transgender status, reported much higher involvement in the sex trade than those who had not (16.3% vs. 6.5%). Forty-eight percent (48.1%) of those who had done sex work also reported experiencing homelessness due to bias, compared to 14.2% of NTDS respondents who hadn’t been involved in the sex trade. This is compared to approximately 7.4% of the general population has experienced homelessness.
The number of people involved in sex work also disproportionately effects trans people of color. Transgender Latinas make up 52 percent of LGBTQ Latinos in the U.S. that turn to sex work; as opposed to 5 percent of non-binary people marked as male on their birth certificate and 1 percent of crossdressers, according to the U.S. Transgender Survey from 2015. Once criminalized and in the prison system, they face much higher incidence of harassment, violence and sexual assault from both other inmates and equally, the prison staff. Adding on top of that, being refused access to healthcare, specifically, HIV care.
UBI can help with homelessness issue, to a degree and the US Supreme Court is currently debating the job discrimination issue but neither resolves the deep-rooted prejudice and disparity LGBT people face in this country. According to the FBI, LGBT people are twice as likely to be targeted for hate crimes as African-Americans, and the rate of hate crimes against them has surpassed that of crimes against Jews. What can we, as a people and the next presidential administration do to make sure it lives up to the promise of “humanity first” with respect to the many complex issues that unequally affect the LGBT community?
References:
https://www.transequality.org/sites/default/files/Meaningful%20Work-Full%20Report_FINAL_3.pdf
https://www.thedailybeast.com/these-transgender-latinas-want-new-york-state-to-decriminalize-sex-work
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/06/16/us/hate-crimes-against-lgbt.html
https://www.security.org/resources/anti-lgbt-hate-crime-stats/
Current Activism
The Leadership Lab | NY Times Article
I’m the longest, still-canvassing volunteer with The Leadership Lab (originally called Vote for Equality). I’ve been volunteering with them in various capacities, often traveling with them across the country since they started canvassing the Valentine’s day after the loss on Proposition 8 in California (November 2008). I believe in the ability of deep canvassing to change hearts and minds through sharing personal stories. There’s no way to Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt (FUD) people, as is often the conservative tactic, into being understanding and progressive for all. That means it’s just a much bigger effort to get the same amount of traction vs effort if we want to be strong and persevere against the anti-LGBT hate and hate of all shades and colors.
PFLAG San Gabriel Valley API chapter | Anniversary Video
I’m member and part of the working board of PFLAG San Gabriel Valley API chapter. Because API parents don’t have the LGBT background like they do being API to help their LGBT children navigate a country/world that they inhabit, this support group is providing a safe space for parents and LGBT individuals to learn, advocate and build a future where we can all thrive.
Past Activism
API Equality-LA | Pacific Citizen Article
I’m former long-time board member of API Equality-LA. I believe in a future where Asian-American LGBT in Los Angeles and America can be free of anti-LGBT hate and we can thrive in the communities to which they belong. Even within API’s we have distinct communities that is home to around 2,300 different languages.
I was on the board of the LGBTQ pride group for many years after grewing up in Arcadia. This was my local, annual pride festival. Because they didn’t sell alcohol like LA Pride or Long Beach Pride, it was a much smaller event since we worked with a similarly small budget but it was and still is home.
I participated in many of their national in-person leadership training programs when I was volunteering at The LA LGBT Center’s Leadership Lab (previously called Vote for Equality). The best times I can remember were the IPVR’s (In-Person Volunteer Recruitment) at local farmer’s markets, building power for the LGBTQ movement.
I volunteered on the coalition campaign (30 orgs) to change hearts and minds called the “Let California Ring” campaign. It was ultimately too late before we had to face hate on a grand scale because it was less than a year before Proposition 8 in California was on the ballot. Not enough time for the campaign to build up enough steam to be effective at changing enough hearts and minds. Changing hearts and minds takes years of regular canvassing. I still believe in it though!
After the loss against Proposition 8 in California, I also participated in many of their leadership trainings “in protest” of inequality. I’m a busy guy, apparently.
This one was a given, as an gay Asian man, to volunteer with. Some groups had their issues with how the campaign was run but at the end of the day, we ultimately lost this one. Hate won out that year but we persevered years later in the justice system with Perry v. Schwarzenegger (later Hollingsworth v. Perry).
In order to see a future where LGBTQ people can thrive, we need to changes lots of hearts and minds. Part of that story mean that our shared media needs to change and reflect the people. They’ve been working tirelessly with the entertainment industry towards that goal. For many years, I volunteered at the GLAAD Media Awards fundraiser in Los Angeles, awarding those that have made the biggest strides for the LGBTQ community in representation.
Hate Groups
To find out about groups that hate me, check out the Southern Poverty Law Center‘s anti-LGBT hate group list.