wu wei

I come from a place of wu-wei, from a daoist perspective, a pacifist, a conscientious objector.

I object to the taking of this country. I have faith in only one thing: the only constant in the universe is change.

1992. Clinton was elected. We were sure that the anti-discrimination banning that was written into Amendment 2 would fail (a state mandate that no township or county could write anti discrimination legislation against gays or lesbians into their own law) .

After Clinton won the election, I thought it was time to sleep. Finally it was a decent time. All the work we did against Amendment two paid off! The board would hold their celebration party as planned on November 3, invite the queer community and those people who helped to make change happen: our governor, our mayor, Ben Nighthorse-Campbell--who had just been voted in as our democratic senator... we would celebrate and finally feel safe.

The next morning was a nightmare. I went to work and into the offices of EPOC, now Equality Colorado. and the world was bleak. Overnight, gays and lesbians had been victims of hate crimes. The celebration canceled; they marched that night down Broadway Street with the Governor at the helm -- enraged. Stunned.

Hate crimes shot up. It was the beginning of the end, we were certain. Then the legal battle began. The state Supreme Court called the amendment unconstitutional. Gale Norton as AG took the case to the Supreme Court. We waited, we watched, we staffed the anti-violence phone lines and patched up our community.

Then it happened. The Amendment overturned in the highest court.

Reasons are not always evident when the dust settles. Things have to turn to shit before change can happen. There has never been a revolution that did not begin with the outrage of the people.

We will get through this.

Change will happen.

I shed tears for the people in Iraq. Saddened by the world's lust for war, bloodshed.

change will happen. I wait. I work. I scream, I meditate, I follow the path before me.