Thom Senzee, author of this article, is a West Coast-based freelance journalist, and a regular contributor to San Diego LGBT Weekly.
Before delivering stirring remarks two Sundays ago to a large group of LGBT San Diegans about the need for unity and alliance among America’s minority communities, Rev. Shane Harris, president of National Action Network’s San Diego Chapter, told the standing room-only crowd that the chilling, “white nationalist” rhetoric that has been openly proffered by supporters of Donald J. Trump made him realize that he needn’t have worried about where to go to church that day.
The gathering was intended and carried out as a vote-of-confidence balloting session regarding the controversy-immersed San Diego LGBT Pride board of directors. Those in attendance got a special bonus for taking time on a weekend to show up for their community in the form of an up-close-and-personal speech delivered by a young leader who’s almost certain to make waves nationally if not internationally for decades to come.
“This is church today,” Rev. Harris’ voice rang out across the Joyce Beers Community Center in tones reminiscent of – dare I say it – Rev. Martin Luther King. His speech less than two weeks ago echoed words Rev. Harris also delivered at the opening ceremony of this year’s San Diego LGBT Pride festival: “LGBT rights are human rights and human rights are LGBT rights.”
I caught up with Rev. Shane Harris after his speech. Following is our Q&A:
San Diego LGBT Weekly: Why have you made this decision as a leader of the African American civil rights movement to so definitively ally yourself with the LGBT community?
Rev. Shane Harris: First, there’s no political agenda here. This is because I believe in equality.
I understand that you’ve taken some flack for your outspoken support for LGBT rights. When did you make the decision to break off from those in the religious community who see things otherwise?
There’s no question that the LGBT community like black people in the ‘60s and even now were and are under attack. Mike Pence and Donald Trump prove that this country’s clock is going back on blacks. It’s going back on Latinos. It’s going back on the LGBT community. Mike Pence just put forth in his first 100 days one of the most regressive platforms to turn the country’s clock back on LGBT rights. I’ve been here before. I’m here now, and I’m going to continue to fight for LGBT rights in this country.
So who’s out of touch with America? Is it our community or is it Mike Pence?
He’s completely out of touch. He lives in a 1960s world. He’s living back in a time of racism and bigotry. He lives in a time when it wasn’t common for LGBT people to come out. It wasn’t common for blacks to speak freely. He’s living in a place where it’s his and Donald Trump’s vision of what they think will make America great. He’s committed to that. That’s the world of bigotry that he’s living in and he’s out of touch, completely.
What do you see as the three most important action items to which LGBT people who are as concerned about the incoming administration as you are can commit – especially from your perspective as an ally from the African American civil rights leadership community?
I think the LGBT community owes an incredible amount of honor and respect to President Obama, who set up the platform for LGBT rights. We need to protect the legacy of this president. Everything he’s done from LGBT rights and marriage equality to the Affordable Care Act to commuting a thousand prison sentences. We have a duty, number-one to protect his legacy. What that looks like is rallying our congressional members and our Democratic house members. We need to pressure our Democratic Party to come up with a strategy to take the House of Representatives back in 2018.
Does that mean move unabashedly to the left?
No question. The Democratic Party has got to reform its platform. I said that in the meeting inside; I’ll continue to say that; and I’ll say it again to you now: The party hasn’t been everything it says it represents and it needs to represent that. Third party politics is not an option right now. The Democratic Party needs to become the hard-left, independent third party.
Think “liberal base?”
Exactly. So, number one: protect the president’s legacy and number two, rally our Democratic Party elected officials especially at the federal level and reform our party. I think number three, come together as allies among all of our organizations from the LGBT community, from the black community, from the Asian and Pacific Islander community, and from the Latino community and not just be individual movers. We need to join national organizations. We need to join together as one big movement all of our movements and come to the national fight. It’s one thing to have an individual perspective. It’s another thing to have a national organization behind you as you’re rallying the institutional struggle. We need LGBT people to join ACLU, National Action Network, NAACP, even as we in our community join your organizations like Pride.
It almost sounds like you’re talking about building a wall of alliances as a counterbalance to the infamous Trump wall.
I am. And, I am highly concerned about our immigrant brothers and sisters. I just fought for Alfred Olongo. Our organization is leading the case against the El Cajon Police Department. He was an immigrant, a refugee in fact. There’s a real big issue with how we treat our refugees and our immigrants in this country. I’m praying and I’m hoping that his plan to deport 3 million people at the beginning of this year is not the real deal.
Anything you’d like to add?
Well, sure. Stephen Whitburn is a great leader. Why on earth you wouldn’t hold on to a leader like him is beyond me. We as people of color and other minorities, including LGBT people have to remain united, or we will be taken over by division and overtaken by the same bigotry that got us the election results we just experienced.
