Opinions

Breaking new ground in Riverside

By Becca Ahuja, Senior Field Organizer
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund

Riverside, Calif., a dusty city east of Los Angeles, is a place that has provided me with the most challenging and rewarding organizing experience I’ve had in years.

Riverside is one of the biggest Republican strongholds in California and undoubtedly one of the most conservative places I’ve ever worked in. We are breaking new ground here. No one has ever been asked to engage strangers one on one about LGBT issues in Riverside before. Even in the local gay bars there seems to be an apprehension among some to talk about LGBT political issues like the proposed marriage ban, also known as the “Limits on Marriage” initiative.

Despite this climate, there are courageous volunteers who are stepping up and stepping out to talk with people in the town about the harm the initiative would cause if it got on the ballot and passed.

And they’re out there doing this each and every day.

Our opposition — the paid signature-gatherers — are completely unpredictable. We don’t know where they’ll be or what they’ll do. They’re essentially moving targets — but we need to be where they are in order to counter their tactics. Some of these signature-gatherers have been aggressive and occasionally violent toward our volunteers, hurling insults and sometimes clipboards.

Despite this, the spirited energy and urgency among the volunteers makes working this turf one of the best learning experiences I’ve ever had. We are training a whole cadre of new leaders for equality. We are building a base of pro-LGBT voters in one of the most conservative places in California. In two weeks we have gathered more than 2,000 names for our cause. The work we have done in Riverside is laying the groundwork for future pro-LGBT initiatives in the city and in the state, groundwork that is long overdue.

Learn more about what you can do to help at www.EqualityforAll.com.