Sanctuary is our duty. And after hearing that Immigration and Customs Enforcement was granted access to this conference to present on their PR and band-aid advances to deporting our community more ‘humanely’, it makes me think that there is no sanctuary here.

And that makes me feel all kind of ways – because you see, when you are a rolling stone, you see what things are like in other places – and I can tell you…there are things here in the LGBTQ sector that are precious. There is history, there is legacy, there is shared experience across a wide spectrum of human beings.

In movement spaces, we simply cannot be neutral. In the face of such abuse of power & injustice by our adversaries – what do we even mean by the words dialogue and inclusion?

A movement space must hold sanctuary. Leaders must discern and consider. And THAT is why we do not want police up in this space either, not here. Its not just ICE, its police. If you are undocumented, if you are broke, if you got a record, if you are Black, if you are Palestinian our movement needs you to be here.

It is not that we demand a utopic political purity everywhere we step foot. That’s not the reality. The reality is this – we all know we leave this space to face everyday as it is– and some of us, may not be here again this time next year. And to forget these sacred things, it gives pause. Because if we can’t build a Johnny Cash ring of fire in a conference, how is this to be protected in the street, at the policy negotiating table – with agencies whose purpose is to police, incarcerate and deport us?

The way I see it there are some differences of opinion around here about what this movement is gonna move going forward. And who moves a movement. I can tell you that more and more we will be asked a simple question: What side are you on?