Many of you already know me, one way or another, if just from seeing my emails over the years, here and elsewhere. I want to thank all the people whom I've had productive and constructive working relationships and friendships over the years - many of whom are members of this Caucus.
I'm running for Co-Chair of the NLGC, because I give a fuck... and I've done so since this Caucus started forming. I helped the founding officers fight through years of bureaucratic bullshit and delays until we had finally received a formal acknowledgement of our status as an officially recognized Identity Caucus. I've also served the caucus as an officer in various positions: Secretary, Representative to the Presidential Nominating Process Working Group, and Representative to the Accreditation Committee.
I've been a member of the Green Party since 1990 (with a brief timeout fostered by a moment of irrationality during the Perot campaign in 1992, although I recovered enough from it to not vote for him) and have served the party in a variety of roles: County Council member, California State Convention Delegate, state committee member and volunteer, etc. Voted for Nader in '96 and 2000, Cobb in 2004 and McKinney in 2008. Along with working for, and supporting various state and local campaigns over the years (loved hosting a Medea Benjamin fundraiser when she ran for U.S. Senate... met Marla then, was very saddened by her tragic death).
I've spent my entire life as an activist of one sort or another, dating back to junior high school. On a broad variety of queer and progressive and Green issues... homelessness, affordable housing, civil liberties, civil rights, free speech, education, anti-war, the environment - you name it, I've probably said something in a public forum somewhere about it. I was even insane enough to run for City Council in 2002 on a "Green" platform.
I've served as co-chair of the local GLBT Alliance for the past several years, and served on the steering committee of the locally organized and funding No on 8 campaign (which generated a 71% NO vote, up 12% from the 59% NO vote on Prop. 21), and am serving on the steering committee for the locally organized and funded Equality Access Project, which we've founded to continue the work of educating the public about equal marriage and equality in general, and to foster similar efforts in nearby counties. I've also participated at various levels in a variety of bi and poly activist organizations and efforts.
I've also either run a business or been self-employed almost my entire adult life. I'm white, male, bisexual, polyamorous, and married (with two step-daughters) to a bi/poly white woman (Green Card immigrant from Sweden). In my non-existent free time, I read books and hang out with friends and family. I also engage in Quixotian quests for social justice or another as a form of personal recreation. :)
I was tempted to run for the position of Chair when Brandon's term was up (many years ago now), but convinced myself that other people would take up the banner and run with it, and that I was succumbing to my normal tendency to over-commit myself - which I'm probably doing, even now. The difference is that, being that much older, I've come to the realization that sometimes, you just have to do things half-assed and despite the fact that you know, going into it, that you're not going to be able to give what you're doing the level of commitment and energy it deserves, and you're not going to live up to your own standards of leadership and effectiveness... if for no other reason that no one else is willing or able to do any better and some people actually think you'll do a good enough job. All that said, I would be overjoyed if someone else were willing to serve and commit to doing a non-half-assed job of it.
I really want this Caucus to be active, vibrant, and effective as a voice for queer people within the Green Party, and the Green Party within the overall queer community and as a voice of queer and Green people to the larger public. To that end, a draft NLGC Leadership Agenda for 2009 follows... I understand that there was also a goals statement drafted last fall, which I will also be reviewing.
- full funding from national party, and making use of said funding - plus substantive internal fund raising from members
- full review and update of relevant platform planks, national/state parties
- attend / be represented at national confs, which? Creating Change (others of importance?
- coalition building, ID target groups / initiatives... NCSF WFF
- confirm membership & contact all twice
- ID/form, support & publicize local/regional groups
- grow base of membership, active participants, officers
- communications: press releases issued regularly, more focused and significant social networking outreach efforts
- sub-caucus support, revivial, Special Interest Group organizing
... all of which is ambitious, but you don't get what you don't aim for. :)
Just so you know what you're getting... I'm fully capable of disappearing from my email inbox for days, even weeks at a time when I wind up over committed or having to focus on work to survive (although my cellphone, 831-295-3917 will always be a way of getting ahold of me via voice and text). I fully expect to promise and not deliver at various points. I'm going to do my damnedest, but I just may not have the energy to follow through on ideas and initiatives... although I can say that making things happen will be much more likely, and much easier, if I have the active support of a substantial number of Caucus members (as well as some financial resources to support things like attending conferences, paying for printed materials, and to support local groups and organizing efforts).
While I don't intend to be particularly abrasive, and in fact prefer to work in a collaborative low stress and respectful fashion, I'm also not going to mince my words or dance around subjects... I'm 37 years old, and my tolerance for bullshit is at an all time low. Life is too fucking short.
If you've read this far, and are willing to support my candidacy for co-chair of the NLGC, I thank you much, and will do my best to live up to whatever expectations you have for my term as co-chair with Starlene and/or any successor of hers.
Regards,
Thomas Leavitt
