Split deepens in LGBT coalition over anti-bullying legislation

MichiganMessenger.com

LANSING — The schism between various lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender organizations is deepening over a proposed compromise measure on anti-bullying legislation in Michigan schools.

In an interview with Michigan Messenger on Wednesday, Alicia Skillman, executive director of Triangle Foundation, a Detroit-based LGBT lobbying organization, said the public debate on the compromise is damaging the bill and the effectiveness of the LGBT community to lobby legislators.

“It (the split and conversation) is damaging the bill, and it is damaging all LGBT issues in Michigan where we need the Legislature to work with us,” Skillman said in a phone interview. “We will ruin chances to get other bills made into laws in Michigan.”

The Triangle Foundation has been supporting the compromise anti-bullying bill, which does not include so-called enumeration provisions. Republicans and other critics have been opposing enumeration, which would specifically spell out classes of people protected by the legislation, including gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender individuals. The lack of enumeration in the compromise legislation has sparked debate over whether the coalition should accept it or stand firm until enumeration is included.

Phil Volk, a leader in the newly formed LGBT and Ally Caucus of the Michigan Democratic Party, opposes the compromise and takes issue with Skillman’s argument.

“This is what they play every time,” Volk said. He charges that Triangle is attempting to muffle dissent in the LGBT community by citing a need for unity.

Volk said the split in the Safe Schools coalition, which has been pushing anti-bullying legislation, represents a larger schism forming in the LGBT community in Michigan. He argues that the grass roots, those he defines as blue-collar workers and the poor, have been cut out of the process. He said organizations representing those constituencies have not felt welcome at the table with the nonprofits like Triangle.

“They tell us they represent the gay community, just give them money,” Volk said of Triangle. “But they don’t. They just want our money, but want us to act like sheep.”

Other opponents of the compromise bill include Colette Beighley, associate program director for the LGBT program office at Grand Valley State University and a former employee of the Triangle Foundation, who has broken with her former employer on the bill.

Beighley cited a study by the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network, a national education organization, which showed that non-enumerated laws, or “generic” laws like the compromise bill, had little effect on curbing bullying.

“We can’t take our eyes off the prize,” said Beighley, who became involved in LGBT political issues as a mother working to protect her son from bullying. “What has the research shown? It has shown we need an enumerated policy. I think we have to go with what works.”

‘There had to be a blowup’

Volk said his organization has already swayed 14 legislators on the pending legislation, changing yes votes to no votes unless the bill includes enumeration. Volk declined to identify those legislators because he did not want Triangle Foundation to “hammer” them.

He added that confrontation was inevitable: “There had to be a blowup. The average LGBT person no longer trusts or respects the nonprofits. We have to get all of our personal dirt out in the public. Then, after that, let’s redesign all this to create a coalition that listens to the average LGBT person and doesn’t talk down to them.”

Skillman has called for a meeting with those concerned about the growing schism in the community. In an e-mail sent Wednesday to a Triangle distribution list, after claiming she knew of no people in the LGBT Democratic caucus, she wrote:

We’d like to arrange a meeting with everyone. The current situation is very damaging to our community, not just the bullying issue but all of our issues.

We would like to arrange a meeting with all parties involved and we do not want to miss anyone who wants to participate.

In response, Volk wrote back:

Most of our membeship [sic] do not like you [sic] organize for many reason but the main reasons and as the new director you should hear this1) [sic] they feel you have taken millions of LGBT dollars and have done little for the community, millions for how much return, and also you [sic] statement “that you represent the lgbt community” when it reality dose [sic] not, many LGBT don’t know who you are and many of the LGBT community feel you don’t listen, the old learship [sic] back stub [sic] many and they talked down to LGBT, the working class, poor etc.3) triangle have nothing to help the poor and working class LGBT at this time. Thay [sic] is what I have hear [sic] over the years. I hope you as the new diector [sic] can change this problem the paes [sic] leadership would not listen.

In spite of that, Volk did say he is working with his group to arrange a meeting, but that it was difficult and he had to move slowly to keep from being cut off by the group.

Julie Nemecek, co-director of Michigan Equality, another LGBT group that has been lobbying for passage of the anti-bullying legislation, said she supported more conversation.

“I think reasoned discourse is an important part of the process of inserting everyone in the LGBT community into decision making,” she said. She noted that while Michigan Equality planned to attend any such meetings, they had not, as yet, been invited by Triangle to participate. She also said she felt the public discussion about the proposed compromise legislation was healthy.

On the other hand, Affirmations, an LGBT community center in Ferndale, said the debate is counterproductive.

“I would definitely have to say we agree with Alicia [Skillman of Triangle],” said Cass Varner, communications manager for Affirmations. The discussion “is damaging to the community.”