DailyKos. This place is freaking amazing. Kossacks just plain get it. "Yes we can" isn't just a slogan from the last election cycle. We can and do walk and chew gum. We work on campaigns, keep each other informed, involve ourselves in our communities. We address not only our own pet issues, but support the efforts of our allies. We're going to answer the call of our convention to finish what we started by securing a second term for President Barack Obama. At the same time, we're not going to neglect other projects, big and small, which advance our common goals.
So, I'm posting this here today to support the fundraiser begun Monday by peregrine kate in her diary, Community Fundraiser: Let's help Scottie Thomaston get the most out of his White House invitation! Kossacks dug deep and pitched in $719.00 toward the needed $1500 above and beyond the generous support the Courage Campaign is providing for the trip. That leaves us $781 to cover the remaining expenses of travel and lodging by next Tuesday. (Courage Campaign is covering his airfare and a couple days lodging -- he needs to cover an extension of that stay, meals, and various incidentals. It adds up, and he doesn't have an account in either Switzerland or the Caymans.) We've come almost to the half-way point. We need to finish what we started on this one, too.
Yes, I know your inbox and mine are filling up with campaign contribution requests in this especially important election season. I am aware that there is an ongoing and very worthy "blogathon" to keep Bill in Portland Maine's voice alive on these orange pages. And, of course, we are all doing what we can to catch people we find falling through our tattered "safety net." But, I'm still going to ask you to join me in digging a little deeper, and to contribute what you can to help us meet the remaining $781 goal. And we need to do it before his plane takes off on Tuesday. Follow me across the squiggle, and I'll tell you how and why.
Nurse Kelley summarizes the story well in her diary, Nurse Kelley Sez: Our Scottie is going to the White House!
[...] Scottie's writing is first-class and [drumroll, please] Courage Campaign nominated him to be included in a White House event on September 19 for "emerging leaders in the LGBT community". There will be a dinner at the Vice President’s residence followed the next day by an East Wing Tour and LGBT Policy Roundtable.
SCOTTIE THOMASTON IS GOING TO THE WHITE HOUSE!!!
The arc of this story, from its roots in backwater Alabama to the near future at Joe Biden's dinner table, quite takes my breath away. If anyone reading this thinks your life is hopeless, that you'll never get out of whatever quagmire you find yourself in, please remember Scottie in your dark hours and hold on. Hold on. Hold on. Life may have a sweet surprise for you, too.
If you haven't read the whole piece already, I'd urge you to. It tells Scottie's amazing story well, so I won't repeat it here. Instead, I'd like to share just a little bit about why I wish I had the means to just cover the $781 he still needs myself.
But first, if you want to see what a White House roundtable looks like, here's a video highlighting a recent one for young leaders with disabilities:
I "met" Scottie here on DailyKos when I was going through a rough patch of my own. I was dealing with some serious health issues of my own, and was undergoing intensive physical therapy to become steadier on my feet, having regained use of my legs sufficiently to walk after a period of temporary paralysis. I was on an extended leave of absence from my work, which I missed terribly, and what little time I had left over from my own therapy regimen was spent caring for my elderly mother. I was battling a sense of hopelessness for the future, so much of what I had dedicated my life to was still left undone, or in fact, being eroded, and I had neither the time nor the energy to get back onto a horse and ride into battle yet again.
Then along comes this young man, whose story resonated with me to a degree I don't think I am able to express. I'm not the gifted writer he is. Like me, he had faced discrimination and oppression at a young age, isolated in a rural setting, and not only survived but thrived. (In his case, not my own, I could just as well use the term "triumphed.")
His raw talent was obvious in his writing. It has only become even more obvious since. Just as apparent was his leadership potential. That, too has blossomed, and has now been recognized even by the White House. Despite the many exceptional writers and leaders on DailyKos, few of us can say that.
So, just knowing Scottie through occasional emails and rubbing elbows with him here on DailyKos, helped me rebuild my own hope in the future. He inspired me to keep working despite my limitations for as long as I can, with the knowledge that the torch was being passed to capable hands of the next generation who could well run (or roll) the next leg of the race.
We need him to go to the White House to represent us at the roundtable. We need his voice as a young LGBT leader living with a disability to be heard loud and clear. We have an opportunity to invest in making that happen. Please join me in doing so. Let's finish what we've started here.
To Make a Contribution:
Send what you can via Paypal to: scottie.thomaston@gmail.com
Since time is short, that's the fastest and preferred method. Checks won't work because of the logistics of getting them deposited and having them clear in time. If you need to donate by snail mail, we'd recommend doing so by means of prepaid Visa cards. Just drop me a private message (KosMail) and I'll reply with the postal address.
Can't afford the $$$ right now?
Believe me, I understand. You can still be a part of this investment in one of our own.
- Rec'ing this diary will help keep it visible to those who may be able to contribute
- A link to it emailed to like-minded friends could help us succeed.
- Sharing it on Facebook or in a tweet might well move us closer to our goal.
- Posting a comment of support here is of more value than you might think.
Kudo's to the Courage Campaign for recognizing Scottie's talent by bringing him on board as a frontpager at their Prop 8 Trial Tracker blog, nominating him for his White House honor, and supporting his trip financially. It's just one more reason why I cannot speak highly enough of the Courage Campaign, and why I count myself among their supporters.