Up here in these hills, timing is everything. If you plant too soon, you run the risk of a late frost, if you plant too late you might have to much rain. You have to remember you plant those pine trees in the Fall and never in the Spring. Don't forget to lay your concrete when you know the temperature won't go below freezing. It is all in the timing.
On the social side of politics, my timing seems to be right up there with Kathy Griffin of "My Life on the D List" fame. The invitation never seems to reach Turkey Hollow and I am left figuring how to cover my tracks with some dignity!
Back in 1993, I decided to personally get arrested in front of the White House because of what I believed to be a disaster of a policy called "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". At the time my old friend President Bill Clinton, whom I had tirelessly helped to get elected, created the policy and it was quickly endorsed and hailed by many who should have known better, including Congressman Barney Frank. Immediately, all over town, my name was crossed off social lists and Rahm Emmanuel declared on the front page of the "Wall Street Journal" that I was persona-non-grata at the White House for my betrayal. Being by that time in my life a seasoned political veteran of many years, I expected the reaction and accepted it as a price for my values and principles. Now 16 years later and the careers of over 13,000 service members totally destroyed, I am very proud of that moment.
Yet, at the time, there were many moments when I questioned my decision. One of the most difficult was in April after I started speaking out but before I got arrested: Clinton held the first gathering ever in the Oval Office with LGBT leaders and I was left out of that meeting. Being in such a meeting was one of my dreams. Once I got my ego in check, I was fine but at the time it hurt a lot to be left out. That was just the beginning of my life on the D-List.
Now once again I have been left off the invitation list - this time to the White House celebration of the 40th Anniversary of Stonewall. Now my ego is in check and I am thrilled for the people who have been invited and actually eager for them to have that special moment that I have had in other White House events. Plus, I have the big advantage now of having Kathy Griffin as my new role model for such situations. For years now, she has laid out new tactics for those of us who seem to stick our foot in it just at the wrong social moment. Quickly I went back to previous episodes looking for advice. Lets face it she did win two Emmys with her tactics and got a Grammy nomination. She must be doing something right.
There were plenty of options offered in Griffin's show and I considered carefully which one to use. Maybe I should loudly proclaim that I was not attending in protest even though I wasn't invited. After all, who would know? Then I thought of showing up at the gate dressed to the nines and insisting a horrible mistake had been made and that surely I was on the list and please check with the social secretary. Then I realized that they might need additional staff for the event and I would volunteer; then, once inside, I could rip off my catering outfit and be in my tux. Or maybe I'd weasel a press credential and take it off and casually drift into the guest area. However, I just know someone inside would blow the whistle on me and those hunky guards would carry me out. Hmmmm.....
Then I realized that I had just returned from New York City to the Hollow after seeing Jarrett Barrios become the new GLAAD director, Speaker of the New York City Council Christine Quinn's Gay Pride event and a great March on Washington fundraiser with a stirring speech by organizer Cleve Jones. The events were packed with great people and many of them very kind to me. Suddenly, I realized that I didn't need the talented Ms. Griffin's assistance, I was already on the A List! A list filled with special people, creating great change and making the world a better place.
That is a damn nice feeling up here in the Hollow. Guess my timing was, after all, just perfect.
The following video was taken at the MCC Conference in Phoenix in 1993. It is an excerpt of a speech responding to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" that was issued the day before by President Clinton. It was the speech that got me on the "D-List". You might find it interesting in today's dialogue on LGBT rights with our President. You can watch the entire speech in three parts by clicking the youtube.com button on the right.
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