The Campaign: The Audacity of Hope Did Not Die in Maine

I am terrible at writing headlines, but in these times of Google searches and social networking, article tags and Twitter hashtags, headlines are important. "Hope springs eternal" won't cut it when referring to what happened in Maine last week regarding gay rights. The linkage of "audacity" and "hope" is a winner, especially since I was clever enough to work "campaign" into the tease. But The Campaign is not about Obama and not about Maine, either. It is about the dedication, hard work, patience, and tenacity of a young filmmaker, born and bred in Mississippi, who is fighting with every ounce of her heart and soul to complete a documentary about the heart-breaking battle against California's Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in California. What happened in California was a clear harbinger of last week's repeal of Maine's law legalizing gay marriages by 53 percent to 47 percent.

One might argue that the defeat in Maine provided a psychological boost to activists in California who will most certainly put the issue squarely on the ballot in 2012. Read any analysis and the pollsters will say that it is the young who will support the issue of gay rights. The young voters did not turn out in an off-election year.

The Campaign tells the story of a lost battle, inspiring hope through the passionate work of those committed to re-energizing the fight for gay rights. Christie Herring captures the essence of this emotional journey, blending in-depth observational footage with interviews of stakeholders -- from Executive Committee Members to first-time volunteers. So far there is only the trailer, but the footage is all there, ready to be assembled. There is also the priceless talent of the filmmaker.

Image: Christie Herring © Scott Mansfield

Christie Herring is no stranger to the political process or social justice issues. Herring's first film, Waking in Mississippi, focuses on a controversial political race in her Mississippi hometown -- the 1994 election of the town's first black mayor which ended in the threat of a race riot. Today she is an award-winning independent documentary director. Her resume is impressive and includes PBS, National Geographic, MTV/LOGO, A&E, and the History Channel. Trying to get a documentary completed on the critical issues facing the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender communities isn't easy. But it is the unheralded individual, working from a sense of commitment to what is right, who can create a sea change.

It so often falls to the young to wage this fight.

Was it bigotry that defeated gay marriage in Maine and California, or was it ignorance? I can't judge, and the pundits from either side have no right to judge what was in the hearts of voters either. In the late seventies, when I was young and still hopeful, I was privileged to march with my gay brothers and sisters when the bigotry of Anita Bryant began to poison the political landscape of the country.

We had rocks thrown at us, and we were spit upon, but what hurt more was the absolute hatred in the eyes of Bryant's followers. Gays and their supporters were "evil," plain and simple. Gay marriage was not even in the lexicon in those days. Beauty queen Bryant preached an Old Testament activism and what stuck in her craw was a 1977 Miami-Dade County amendment to the local human rights ordinance making it illegal to discriminate in housing, loans, and employment based upon sexual preference. Her brand of hatred won, and the law was repealed. The following year, she supported the failed Briggs Initiative in California, which would have produced a witch-hunt against gay teachers or anyone who advocated a gay lifestyle.

So in some ways, one could argue that things are "better" now for the LGBT community, but Herring casts an unjaundiced eye upon what she terms the "the fault lines of religion, race, and sexual identity." She makes a good point. Have things really changed for the LGBT community except in the most superficial ways since 1977? I wonder. I study the trailer and am reminded of the pain we witnessed back in the days when the movement for true gay equality was in its infancy. One of the individuals featured in THE CAMPAIGN trailer speaks about how "personal" it is to hear people "yelling and screaming" about taking away the right to love--the most basic of human rights.

All Herring has is a trailer now, but it is an excellent, quality beginning, and given Herring's track record, there is a better than even chance the film will be made. Herring possesses her own brand of audacity, hope and generosity.

Over the last week, I have been full of emotion, thinking about what I was doing this time last year. On November 4, 2008, I was up at 3AM, after 90 minutes of glorious sleep, and I arrived at campaign headquarters at 4:15AM. I planned to film the headquarters before the lights came on at 5AM. To my surprise, the staff had arrived even earlier, unable to sleep in anticipation of Election Day. Twenty-three hours later, we were all still awake, holding onto hope that Prop 8 would not pass. I'm sharing THE CAMPAIGN trailer now as a reminder of that day and as a thank you to the campaign staffers, activists, and community members who put their hearts into this crucial work.

Image: San Francisco Impact Rally (2008) © Barry Perlman

Films like The Campaign require our attention and our support. Because young people dared to face the hatred of Anita Bryant and her supporters, progress was made. My daughter's generation considers gay rights to be a non-issue. If I have grandchildren, I have some hope that the world they enter will allow them to make the simple and profound choice to love whom they wish. Films like The Campaign will provide the historical blueprint and record of how the fight was waged, how battles were won--and lost.

Hope does spring eternal, but its future rests with the young, the dedicated and the openhearted. Hope also requires belief.

 

Follow Georgianne Nienaber on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nienaber

Comments

[sweetiebird]

What happened during the most recent election as as in the past during many mid-term elections is people failed to vote. They failed to recognize the importance of expressing themselves in these elections on state and local issues is as important as voting in the presidential election and that the candidates of tomorrow start by getting themselves elected to local and state offices. Unfortunately for everyone this impacted adversely on some groups such as the gay comunity with the defeat of the right to marry in Maine.

Until first time and young voters recognize the importance of these elections and start voting in them in the same numbers as they do in presidential contests, we will continue to see these issues go down to defeat, and see a new generation of leaders whom many may find distasteful.

[Georgianne Nienaber - Huffpost Blogger]

Thank you, sweetiebird. You are a staunch supporter of social justice. Always.

[Wayne1ea]

People originally came to this country to escape persecution of their beliefs, now it seems a large segment of this country are persecuting people for their beliefs and lifestyles. This country has devolved into the very thing our forefathers were trying to escape.

[truthartbeauty]

religion is synonymous with bigotry and ignorance. It is the very heart of religion to believe in nonsense and have to hate and be better than someone else. without hate and bigotry there is no religion.

[hippieforlife]

The state of Washington just passed ref. 71 which was dubbed the "everything but marriage" law.

If people register as domestic partners they have all rights accorded to married people. This will also cover senior citizens who live with their partners but money wise can't afford to marry.

I hope that this will be enough to make all happy.

[lesterbud]

What should be at issue here is why such measures ever are allowed to end up on a ballot.
In this country, it is, theoretically, not possible to pass legislation that denies civil liberties to a specific group of people.
In D.C. a group of extremely bigoted, hate-filled demagogues and their fear-ridden minions, keep trying to get an anti-gay marriage measure on the ballot. Each try, the city council, rightfully, tosses it out for being clearly discriminatory. I do not find it amusing that quite often these measures are promoted by black religious leaders, black churches and hispanic/catholic groups. Of all people, shouldn't they know better?
What if the there was a measure to prohibit Blacks from voting (not that long ago)?
Or Hispanics from owning property?

Would they cry out loud if gays voted for those measures?

Perhaps my argument seems a bit trite or off-the-point to some, but deep down, is it really any different? A right is a right and a citizen is a citizen - supposedly.

[Nommo]

Why should Black people know, as you'd have it, any better. Black people, having achieved "equality" now have the right to act as stupid, hateful and shamelessly so as the white people who for so long acted that way to keep Black people in "their place". So what is there to know "better than"?
You see, if one is Black, one knows and one never forgets that white people will turn in a minute, and if they could have Plessy v Ferguson all over again, it would happen quicker than a New York minute. You see, the hate never went anywhere. It is only the law that that keeps that thin veneer of civilization in place. The hate of the teabaggers, birthers and whatever other fringe loonies there are out there is no different from the hate that firebombed Black churches.

[lesterbud]

Sorry Nommo
I may be just misreading you a bit. If so, I am sorry.

My point was that since Blacks do have a collective, social memory of severe oppression and denial of basic human rights, they should be more sensitive to other groups experiencing anything close to that same plight.
Since it is the rightfully despised tea-baggers and birthers that hate gays most of all, there should also be a common enemy.

Thus, my dismay at Black leaders and Black churches leading the charge to oppress gays.

By the way, I do now quite a few Black gays.

[aardvarx]

Christie is a true warrior for justice. This will be a very important film. I've known Xtie for years, and you will not find a more audaciously hopeful individual­...nor a more competent, determined filmmaker. [We created Waking in Mississippi together.]

[AnotherTry]

Just this short trailer brought tears to my eyes. I don't know if I want to relive that night, to be honest.

[Georgianne Nienaber - Huffpost Blogger]

Out of all of the comments here, you summed up WHY this film is important. If it can communicate the pain and humanity, it is something that will stand the test of history. It should be made so that those who were not there will understand. That being said, it is horrible that so many, like yourself, have had to endure that pain. Hold onto your passion.

[PhilipB]

yes.

[rextrek]

as an American at 49yrs old... I continue to fight for equality - but IF given the chance - and some financial windfall - Im OUT of this Hateful,ba­ckwards,bi­goted country...­....

[truthartbeauty]

life IS too short to waste it, in any form. seek quality in your life of course....­peace, kindness, nice people, beauty...e­tc.......T­his IS a nasty country full of ignorant bigots now. Once a proud great nation, it is ruined by religious fanaticism and all of the predictable garbage that always comes with that!

[Philip N. Cohen - Huffpost Blogger]

Wouldn't it make more sense to decide on what rights everyone should have, then use the courts to make sure everyone gets them - rather than decide group by group who gets which rights? If you ask, "Should drug dealers have a right to an attorney?", your answer is contaminated by attitudes toward of the group, and the idea of universal rights loses its meaning.

[Georgianne Nienaber - Huffpost Blogger]

I have great respect for fellow HP bloggers and thank you so much for your comment and the read. I just wonder how you regulate love? The soul knows no boundaries. I think that it is so sad that the people who are arguing about bigotry here do not understand that this is an issue of the spirit.

[Philip N. Cohen - Huffpost Blogger]

Hm. Wouldn't try to regulate love, I guess. There is the material side. People love each other boundlessly - OK, good! - and then they want to buy a house. Taxes. Children. Custody. Etc. State marriage privileges are one of our many unleveling mechanisms, magnifying the benefits the some people have, and imposing barriers on others. Thanks for the post - I have to see the movie.

[GiovanniJones]

It was common sense that won.

[Liberal Angel]

What won was hate, fear and ignorance. There was NO commonsense invloved in voting Americans' rights away.

[lesterbud]

It is common sense to deny basic rights to gays, purely on the basis of your own fear and self interest.
If you ask your self, in a very common sense manner, what harm gay marriage actually does to you, it is not possible for you to deliver a response that is not tainted with prejudice and intolerance.

Common sense.

You know not of such things.

[rolfmn]

Good story! You are correct that 1-2 generations from now, gay rights will be overwhelmingly accepted as the norm, and our kids and their children will be scratching their heads in disbelief that this was ever an issue, just as most of us now can't comprehend our parent's and grandparent's attitudes about integration 40-50 years ago.

[CommunistUtopia]

It wasn't bigotry, it was the voters. This is now 0 for 31.

[DMSmith]

You're wrong. It was bigotry. Religious bigotry. If it hadn't been for huge sums of money from the Catholic Church, and the Mormon Church, and bigotry from the Black Churches..­.Prop 8 would not have prevailed.
Church money in huge amounts from out of state effected this election profoundly.
Note that this was tax-exempt money!!!
Now...what was that about separation of church and state?

[CommunistUtopia]

Your points could be correct but you have to remember, it is now 0 for 31.

[Romulus]

"If it hadn't been for huge sums of money from the Catholic Church, and the Mormon Church, and bigotry from the Black Churches..­.Prop 8 would not have prevailed.­"

I wonder about that. In Maine, proponents of SSM outspent their opponents $4 million to $2.5 million and, from what I hear, ran a very good campaign. And they lost by almost exactly the same margin as in California. I have to wonder if any of these ads, for or against, really have any effect.

[BVLian]

when can I vote on your rights?

[krisana]

"It so often falls to the young" ... so true. Thank you for your thoughtful and inspiring post.