This July 4th weekend, one of my favorite people in the world came to town. Chris Mason, a queer activist from Boston, stopped by Los Angeles on his Driving Equality tour. Chris is visiting 48 states in 107 days, interviewing LGBTQ people across the country in an effort to raise awareness of the various forms of discrimination faced by our community in each state of the nation. After he finishes, he’s going to produce a documentary film about the trip.
Lots of people have big ideas but for most people, they stay just that—ideas. Chris is different. As much as anyone I know, he is focused on—and motivated by—social justice. When he has a big idea that will help people (especially queer people), he goes for it. Chris worked for MassEquality in several jobs, and I pushed him hard to go back to college (he calls me his gay mom). Now, he’s halfway through a great program at Tufts University. A proud gay mom I am!
While in LA, Chris interviewed me about the efforts to win marriage back. He also spoke with West Hollywood councilmember and EQCA president emiritus John Duran about his years of activism in LA, and with EQCA’s health network coordinator Daniel Gould about the work to promote the health of LGBT people in California.
Check out our interviews as well as the website (my favorite interview is one that Chris did with Shirley Phelps-Roper of the infamous Fred Phelps clan in Kansas [day 24, on page 3]). You can follow Chris in his sojourn through the country, and you can even see exactly where his Driving Equality van is.
Here’s to Chris and others like him who are not afraid to take a big idea to advance human rights, and just go for it—in this case, a long, long way!
Marc Solomon
Marriage Director
Interview with West Hollywood Councilmember, former Mayor and EQCA President emeritus, John Duran
Interview with EQCA Marriage Director Marc Solomon
Interview with EQCA Health and Human Services Network Coordinator Daniel Gould
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