We Don't Need MORE Organizations

As I've put together the resources for this blog over the years, I've sifted through hundreds of organizations at the local, regional, national, and worldwide levels. Do we really need more? Well, here's someone who apparently thinks we do. From the (San Francisco) Bay Area Reporter:

Since Prop 8 passed November 4, several groups have sprung up and organized marches and rallies around California.

Now, at least one new group wants another march on Washington, D.C. But others are expressing doubt as to how successful Yes on Gay Marriage, the new group, can be.

Kelley Moran, an organizer with Yes on Gay Marriage, said it was formed to work for marriage in all 50 states and recognition by the federal government.

It's "imperative as a community that we stand up for our civil rights and go to Washington, D.C. and ask for [the Defense of Marriage Act] to be overturned," said Moran, who's openly gay and president of Moran and Associates, a Sacramento-based agency that works in political consulting, public affairs, and other areas.

Moran said Yes on Gay Marriage has a list of several hundred LGBT groups that they're contacting and his organization will be meeting with others in January to discuss a strategic plan.

While I agree with Moran's ultimate goals, why in the world do we need to devote additional resources to a new organization to do so? Wouldn't time and money be better spent working within the framework of existing groups, making them more robust, effective, and focused? Are egos getting in the way here--people thinking that they need to put their stamp on these issues to make a difference?

One very important thing to remember is that GLBT people are a minority. Those who oppose equality greatly outnumber and outspend GLBT activists and their supporters. I don't think it is in the best interest of advancing equality to take the small pie and slice it up into even smaller pieces.

People speaking with different voices, all trying to be heard, usually just make an unintelligible racket. If their is one common, unified voice speaking loudly and firmly, however, that has the best chance of being heard and respected.

Let's see some more unity in the struggle for equality with everyone focusing on, dare I say, the same agenda for the greater good rather than their own individual ones.