A Member by Choice
Membership has its privileges,” was an advertising slogan created for American Express. I’ve been thinking about membership lately, and that phrase keeps running through the back of my mind.
To be a member of something implies that we are a part of it; that we belong to it.
Human beings like that don’t we? For the most part, we’re social creatures; we like to belong. Belonging provides security, comfort, and support. In ancient times, the protection provided by one’s clan or tribe was crucial to survival. Even though most of us will never have to hunt wild beasts or brave harsh climates without central air and heat, we still benefit from being a part of a family, a church, a club, or a circle of friends.
The history of the LGBT community reminds us that there was a time when, as a people, our lives were shuttered behind closet doors. Sure, there were hidden groups to which one could come out and be a member, but for most, there was no better protection than simply pretending to fit into the dominant heterosexual world around us.
The concept of gay pride arose to combat the painful separation of the closet. It grew from a vast need to escape from that dark, lonely, and shameful place in which our culture imprisoned us. The power of gay pride celebrations comes from finally being able to stand up together and rejoice in the fact that LGBT people are very much a part of the great rainbow that is the human family.
Most of us take gay pride as a given these days. It’s just part of modern gay life, and a little ho-hum at that. Sometimes I think we forget the road it took to carry us to the point where now we are talking seriously about achieving real equality. I can only imagine the bravery required by the very first LGBT activists. How hard it must have been to stand up and say, “Hey, look at me, I belong here too!”
So many things are happening in the world today. All over the globe, people are waking up and understanding the great need for equality—understanding that we indeed live in one world where each of us belongs.
The story of CAMP Rehoboth is about belonging; it’s about being a vital part of the community around us. It is about finding our place in, and our balance with, the world around us and of which we are a part.
I recently visited my parent’s home in Alabama. It is a place in which I am always welcome, and our family ties mean that I belong there by virtue of birth. I am a member of the family.
Sometimes belonging to something comes from who we are; sometimes it is choice.
Participation in the efforts, programs, and work of CAMP Rehoboth does not require membership. We all belong—gay, straight, young, old, rich and poor. Our doors are open, and we welcome all who come. To keep our doors open and free to all who need us, however, requires each of us to make a choice about how we will support CAMP Rehoboth and other organizations working to improve the world around us.
On pages 18-19 of this issue, there is a list of all the people who have chosen to become supportive members of CAMP Rehoboth. The ongoing funding provided by these members is an important part of the CAMP Rehoboth budget.
Like other organizations around us, the recession has caused us to tighten our budget and take an even more careful look at the way we spend our money. We live in a culture of excess, so a little frugality is not a bad thing, but it’s frustrating, as we all know, when important programs and activities are cut for lack of funding.All things considered, CAMP Rehoboth has survived the recession in decent shape. Over the next few years we are committed to finding ways of both retiring some of our long term debt and continuing to provide and grow the services and programs our community has come to expect from us. To do that we continue to need the help and support that comes from the membership of CAMP Rehoboth—especially at the rainbow membership levels.
I can’t really speak to why other people choose to become members of CAMP Rehoboth; I can only speak to how I feel. I’m a member of CAMP Rehoboth because I believe that the work we do is making a difference in our community.
There is a whole list of things that CAMP Rehoboth does, (see What CAMP Does), but the two most important, as far as I’m concerned, is our constant advocacy for the people of our community and the visible center we provide for them. Our best work is not the big splashy programs and activities; our best work is the little stuff that all too often simply goes unnoticed. Quite often it’s just a quiet conversation with someone in need of some advice, maybe a lawyer, or a doctor, an HIV test, or just a friend. On the advocacy side, we are a source for press, politicians, churches, and other organizations in the area.
Yes, I’m a member of CAMP Rehoboth by choice.
To all the members of CAMP Rehoboth I say thank-you. Please continue to support the work we do by renewing or upgrading your membership—by choosing to belong to our organization.
Membership in CAMP Rehoboth really does have its privileges, and they’re not just the ones that come with the different membership levels. The real privilege, for me, is simply belonging to something that continually seeks to make the world a more positive place.
Murray Archibald, Founder and President of the Board of Directors of CAMP Rehoboth, is an artist in Rehoboth Beach.