Outside agitators

Martin Austermuhle has been one of the good people defending marriage equality on TheMail at DCWatch.com from the rantings of Kathryn Pearson-West and others. This morning I received the following inquiry from Martin:

Rick,

I'm writing a short piece today for DCist.com on the roll outsiders are playing in the D.C. debate over marriage equality. Obviously, we've had Harry Jackson on one side and now Rev. Lee on the other ( http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dc/2009/09/sclc_leader_from_la_speaks_out.html), and there's the Oct. 11 National Equality March. Can I get some thoughts from you on what you think of the roll outsiders are playing? Are they helping, or do they risk raising the issue from a local decision to one where Congress will want to step in and stop the D.C. Council?

I replied as follows:

Martin,

At the risk of invoking a comparison that some people resent, I think that for outsiders like Rev. Lee to support the advance of equality in the District is just as legitimate as when Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner traveled from New York to Mississippi to join James Chaney for the Freedom Summer voter registration effort in 1964.

Unlike Bishop Jackson, Rev. Lee has not urged people around the country to write to their members of Congress to overturn a decision by the democratically elected representatives of the voters of the District.

I do not mind people from elsewhere supporting our efforts in D.C. as long as they respect that it is a locally-driven effort led by Washingtonians, as long as they are fighting for justice rather than injustice, and are striving to bring people together rather than drive them apart. Bishop Jackson established residency in the District, while leaving his wife and child in their posh digs in Maryland, solely for the purpose of raising money and stirring up rancor on the backs of gay families in our city. In addition, quite simply, Rev. Lee speaks the truth while Bishop Jackson speaks lies. Rev. Lee is faithful to Dr. King's legacy while Bishop Jackson defiles it.

Congress needs no excuse to involve itself in District matters when it chooses; but Congress chose not to interfere in the marriage recognition bill, which is now law, despite the worst efforts of Bishop Jackson and his Ward 9 acolytes. There is always a risk of congressional interference, but our diverse coalition for marriage equality has done many years of preparation, we have the facts on our side, justice on our side, and the D.C. Council and Mayor Fenty on our side, and we are going to continue together toward our goal.

Rick Rosendall

Not that I have strong feelings on the subject.