a guy named dave.

Theory into Action.

2009-09-24T19:45:00.000-07:00

Crashed in Brooklyn last night with my bud, Patrick, who's also the designer behind the NEMstudents.

It was a trek and half getting to Columbia this afternoon, but Cleve was there speaking with students. It reminded me of when he spoke at 1FEST, intimately with students. Very real. About their concerns and the direction of this movement. He spoke about the need for students to take charge, to take hold, but for a greater need to develop an understanding of civil disobedience...

I spoke with students after the event. We need to think bigger, we agreed. Nobody is going to lay a blueprint. We know that. I guess we are the real architects of this movement...

Grabbed a bite, and now I'm alone again, hanging at Columbia in front of Hamilton Hall. It's nice, they have free wifi, which keeps me happy. And I have my reader that I've been carrying around for some time now. And so I'm watching these students walk by and I'm reading about the 1985 blockade that took place right spankin here. Students chained themselves to the administration building and protested for over three weeks, demanding the university divest its funds from South Africa and corporations that were funding the Apartheid.

Many social theories developed from this particular student action. Sociologists evolved their understanding of how student movements can successfully mobilize students to protest. Rational choice and collective behavior models were no longer seen as adequate. Instead, there came to be an understanding that, "recruitment and commitment in protest movements were best explained by analyzing group-level political processes such as consciousness-raising, collective empowerment, polarization, and collective decision making. Such processes increase protesters' political solidarity-- their commitment to the cause and their belief in the non-institutional tactics that further their cause" (Hirsch, Columbia University).

So we're thinking bigger, but now we need to reflect this in our actions!

+++
I was going to head back to Brooklyn to get ready for the fundraiser at Elmo, but honestly, I'd rather bum it.

Whirlwind.

2009-09-24T12:34:00.000-07:00

People ask me what city I live in these days, and I have to tell them I don't really know. Then I try to explain that I just moved from New York, but half my stuff is in a closet in southern California, and the other half is in DC. So they say, "Ah, you're a nomad!" Yeah, I suppose. A legit nomad. Or a bum. However you wanna shake it...

I've been working on the ground with students in Seattle and Boston, and most recently Miami. Now I'm back in New York to help promote a fundraiser that is sure to help the National Equality March in a lot of great ways. I want to make sure the money raised will be used to provide transportation for students and the younger crowds-- it is our priority to make sure they are in attendance-- and now it's time to put our words into action!

Flying over the New York skyline late in the evening with the shining lights of the city-- it was beautiful, I felt like I was back home. I continued to look out the window and I began to think about all my friends, scattered all over this vast city down below, but now, all in one single frame. And I began to think of the whirl of people and the kids who must be skating at Union Square right then and there, and all the people I'd bump into during the day. I got off the plane and the rush made me feel very aware, very in the moment, very conscious of all the movement around me.

And so, here it is, here we go on the next big leg of this sprint. I can see the finishline. It's right there, not too far off in the distance, and I can feel our joy that is coming. There is so much more to do and I love that I'm able to do it.

Let's get this done.

Hello again. My name's Dave.

2009-09-15T15:43:00.000-07:00

There isn't much time to catch up...

I took a four-month hiatus from the blog because I got wrapped u p in organizing students to protest Prop 8, I needed to focus on graduating, and really, I didn't think I had anything that interesting to offer. This blog was originally set-up two years ago to keep in touch with family and friends while I was away from southern California, working for the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund in Washington DC, studying in London, and then studying and traveling around South Africa. The blog was a great way to keep people updated, but it also morphed into an interesting expression, not only of my own life, but I suppose of the lives of the people who would follow along and write me their thoughts. I mean, I even met some friends by writing this, including David, who's a student in Dublin, Ireland, and was also traveling abroad!

The blog became something much more, though. I suppose it was an opportunity for people to connect with what was happening around the world. I was never a reporter, by any means, but just an individual offering my perspective on life. From discovering the sce nes of London or Cape Town to the disgusting politics I encountered in Zimbabwe, it was neat to be able to write about this. But blogs are so damn self-servicing, and I got bored of it, so I started using it as a vehicle to promote 1FEST, the music festival we produced to support the Prop 8 protests, as well as the student-led protests that followed.

A lot of interesting things have happened, I suppose.

Prop 8 was upheld, and as promised, students from across California-- newly energized and more importantly, organized -- protested and shut down major intersections. What people need to understand is that, yes, like many others, we were using Facebook and Twitter to chit-chat and gain momentum, but more importantly, we were using these social media to mobilize.

"Holy shit, our love is legit!"
On May 26, Won Together effectively shut down Wilshire Boulevard between Westwood and Veteran, leading up to the Federal Building. It was refreshing, really, to be there, right where we had been back in November, the day after Prop 8 was passed into law. That was the day I became no longer just an observer, but someone who was part of the cause, someone who had to step up and prevent other people from getting hurt in fray of action.

We sent out a twitter update and a mass text and within a few hours had successfully mobilized students to protest Prop 8 being upheld by the California Supreme Court.

We sat in middle of many important intersections, including Wilshire and Veteran, in front of the Federal Building. We used this opportunity to call upon President Obama to stand up and expand federal protection of marriage rights and call for an immediate end of the Defense of Marriage Act policy.

Another important intersection we took over was Westwood and Wilshire, the major connector between the West and East LA, as well as the feeder for the MTA and Big Blue Bus systems.

In total we marched 12 miles on May 26. We continued our protest to join others in West Hollywood and onto Hollywood.

Hollywood and Highland. May 26, 2009. Thousands of people showed up to protest Prop 8 being upheld by the California Supreme Court.

I graduated from UCLA and moved to New York for a few months. I had no plan. No apartment. No job. Nothing. I just wanted to see where I'd go, and well, here I am. I knew I wanted to step up my game and get involved in the National Equality March, and got to know Cleve Jones a bit better and started to promote as part of NYC Pride. That was pretty cool.

New York is this amazing city for ADD kids like me. You can come up with an idea, any idea, and wham bam thank you ma'am, you can make it happen. Just hop on the train, it'll take you everywhere. I'll always live everywhere and I'll always live in New York...

I met up with David Mixner, a man who I've long admired for his activism and hard work. I told him about my idea to drive around the country and start protests in small towns to drive attention to the March. He said it was a nice idea and all, but a misuse of resources. He was right. And so I went back to what I know how to do best-- organizing students to protest and get them mobilized in Washington DC for the National Equality March.

So that's where I'm at. That's what I've been up to. I left NYC, took a bus to good ole DC for a week and started to set-up shop. And boy oh boy, do we have some good plans coming. I'm esctatic. Fuming with joy inside. You have to understand, what I love more than anything else is to take one of these crazy ideas, the impossible ideas, the ideas where we say to ourselves, "what if we could only do that..." and then make them a reality. A real life, eating, breathing, in your face idea. That's what I like to do. And right now, that's what we're doing. That's what we're creating. We're taking these ideas about how to change the lives of young people, not just in the big cities and not just in the big states or even just this country-- we're taking these ideas about how to fundamentally change the perspectives of people around this world so that the lives of young people everywhere will be made ultimately better. That's what this is all about to me. That's what I'm in this for. I love that, in some shape or form, I get to contribute to that process. It's nice.

Last week I was back home in socal, and the past few days have been here in Seattle to promote a fundraiser. I'm off to Boston next and then a few other cities. It's all good. We're rockin. We're rollin. We're getting things done...

You know how you create an idea in your head and you can see all the exact details of how you want it to be? I see that right now. I can feel it, I can taste it. I can even smell the people and the surroundings. I don't want much, but I want this for us, so badly I do..

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night.

2009-05-17T14:55:00.000-07:00

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

-Dylan Thomas

Another ending is coming.

2009-05-17T14:52:00.000-07:00

There is a lot going on, but I haven't had much to say about it. Things are quieter. I get nervous when things are quiet. But it's okay. School is ending. I have to write a few papers and take a few tests, and then I'm done. I don't know what is next. I'm not too worried about that.

The Prop 8 decision will be out soon. Probably this week. I need to get my papers done so I can be prepared to put a lot of time into that. Anyway, that's that. I just want things to be.

Yeah.

Daily Bruin TV - 1FEST

2009-04-22T20:31:00.000-07:00

It's simple, really.

2009-04-08T06:05:00.000-07:00

Work harder.

What is this?

2009-04-08T05:02:00.000-07:00

http://www.1FEST.org

Have you added the facebook event page yet?

Tehehe.

These boys.

2009-04-08T00:12:00.000-07:00

They send me these little notes with nice words. Thanks for those. You're the life of all of this.

More to do.

11 days.

2009-04-07T17:59:00.000-07:00

Is it really all coming together?

1FEST: The Day We Came Together

Don't rest on your laurels. Work harder.

Maples and birches and tamaracks.

2009-04-03T19:50:00.000-07:00

I just want these kids to understand, this has nothing to do with you, and it certainly has nothing to do with me. It may very well be that the results of our actions will never see the light of day here in this time or in this place. It's the boys and the girls who exist far away in time and space that we're working for. I just want these kids to understand, the work we are doing here is important.

...
We're planting our seeds. Maples and birches and tamaracks... It's all coming together.

Shit. Fuck. Flow.

2009-04-01T19:16:00.001-07:00

Shits busy. Working hard. 1FEST is real. It's coming in 18 days. Can't really believe that. Hustle. Flow. Up. Down. Cum. Down. Hustle. Lobby. Shake. Get shit done. Sleep on the side. Often let go.

I have no idea what I'm going to do with myself when this is all said and done. I guess graduating will be my new project. I bought books for classes for the quarter. I think I'll read them this time. I'm taking a class called "Collective Behavior and Social Movements." Fitting. Maybe I'll have more time to be quiet. Doubt it. And I'm not certain that would make me happy.

Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.

2009-03-14T23:18:00.001-07:00

At this very time, the constitutionality of Proposition 8 is being decided by the Supreme Court of California. We know this. And if the Court should uphold Proposition 8, hundreds of thousands of young people will flood the streets of California the very day the decision is released. We know this as well.

The time is now to prepare for the real possibility that we will soon be protesting and marching. We must do everything in our power to uphold the values of non-violent civil disobedience, and avoid, at all costs, the creation of riots. We will not have this. That is why it is crucial that we, the young leaders of our diverse communities, create opportunities to train and inform all people of their civil rights and how they can act in a way that will protect the safety of themselves and those around them. It is imperative these trainings take place immediately, and that they be especially targeted to our youth who will be most vulnerable to harm and arrest during a potential protest.

Right now, trainings are being organized to take place at UCLA and in Los Angeles. These trainings need to take place at your school and in your area. If you are an organizer in any capacity-- and you are-- get in touch with groups like Ruckus Society, National Lawyers Guild, and ACLU for more information and direct contacts. Step up. Make this happen.

If you think this is unnecessary, I'd like to remind you of November 6, 2008...

"Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person."
-Mother Teresa.

"Students gather to fight Prop. 8"

2009-03-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

The Daily Bruin covered 1FEST's presence at the Milk screenings, as well as the success of the planning meeting held this week. Check out the article here:

Dave Valk says he is leading a charge.

The fourth-year political science and sociology student is the director of Won Together, a student-run initiative in support of marriage equality in California and the group hosting 1FEST on April 19.

1FEST, currently awaiting funding from the undergraduate student government and the Campus Events Commission, aims to bring together the energy and activism of numerous campus student groups, along with that of students from all over California, and channel it into a single monumental movement for equal rights to marriage.

With an eye on the California Supreme Court proceedings regarding the legality of Proposition 8, Valk and his staff are working on spreading the word about their cause and event.

Won Together members spoke at public screenings of “Milk” on Thursday and Friday nights about the importance of the student voice in support of marriage equality. They collected lists of students who were interested in getting involved; around 200 students signed up, Valk said.

Read the rest here...

So it's comin along!

UCLA Milk Screenings

2009-03-12T21:23:00.000-07:00

Won Together, the organization that is putting on 1FEST at UCLA, was given this incredible opportunity at UCLA last week. We were invited to speak after the four showings of Milk. Each showing was packed with students, and it was PERFECT timing to invite students to get involved in the planning of 1FEST. Of course, I was was thrilled. We signed up over 200 kiddos and personally invited all to our meeting. Just two days later, we met at the LGBT Center at UCLA and the room was PACKED. It was great new energy for 1FEST, and we were able to break up our committees and really get this going. If you're a student in CA-- even if you're not at UCLA!-- and want to get involved in 1FEST, let me know!!

The whole process was... well, it took a lot... but very worth it. Just made us realize-- this whole thing is unstoppable. This whole idea-- of not just bringing together students across communities at UCLA, but across CA. It's exciting... it's overwhelming... it's all coming together...

Been back in LA with the Beautiful Skies.

2009-03-12T19:01:00.001-07:00

I walk home from UCLA to Santa Monica almost religiously these days. I love walking under the freeway-pass and yelling out ideas as the screaming cars pass by and the people on the benches look at me like I'm crazy. It's the only thing that makes me feel incredibly sane these days.

It's finals week now. I'm wrapped up in planning for 1FEST. I should tell you more about that. Some cool stuff has happened. Major ups. Major lessons in coordination and organization. All in all it's been good. But I'm stressed about it-- as I should be-- especially with the impending Prop 8 decision coming out. I guess you could say there's a lot on my mind...

Seattle.

2009-02-19T00:31:00.000-08:00

Took a trip up to Seattle for the long weekend to see my brother. The mad-dash to make it to the airport is the norm-- I'm never on time. The flight was quick, and I loved watching the sun set over the horizon from so high above. Snapped a few shots, and it took me straight back to DC, straight back to London, straight back to Florence...

It looked just like a Rothko.

Seattle is this neat city, a "best-kept secret" as one guy put it. I had a lot of fun just roaming the streets and figuring out the downtown and making my way to the Public Market. The first thing I do when I get to a new city is try to figure out the public transportation system. I jump on board and try to guess where to get off once we're already on our way. It doesn't work as easily in New York.

I never know exactly where I'm going, but I figure, as long as you walk confidently like you do, you'll never have a problem getting there...

...

The fascinating thing about all of this...

2009-02-09T14:06:00.000-08:00

It's a movement. We know that. And it's exploding. We know that. And it's not just about marriage equality or gay rights. We know that.

When we broke through that line of police on November 5, and we made it to the top of that hill on Wilshire Boulevard, I remember looking back at the procession of 3,000 people or so and hearing the screaming and hollering and honking of the still cars that surrounded us. And I remember having to take a pause, and felt so together, and yet, so very alone. And all that could come to my mind was how I wondered, who were the boys and the girls that were around me that were going to take this moment and make something out of it? Who were the ones that would go on to tell this story with paintings and music and all the new books that would follow? So that's what I was thinking about. Not how we were moving toward Santa Monica Boulevard, but how we were moving toward something so big, that to this day, I can't even grasp what is coming our way. All I know is that it's coming.

Isn't that weird to think... that they are writing those songs and painting those paintings -- right now -- right as we speak!? So weird.

The language is changing. The music is changing. It's all changing. You can't really see it-- yet. But you sure as hell can feel it! (if you want to, that is)

1fest. April 19.

2009-02-08T17:07:00.001-08:00

I've been back in LA. Sunny days. Rainy days.

We developed a group at UCLA called Won Together, and we're bringing together students from different groups and communities to give em a platform to stand up for the LGBT community, esp after Prop 8. On top of this, there will be action booths so every community can bring to the table their important issues, and we can all support one another's causes. And to make this big, and even more special, we are trying to get MUSIC so this will be a real festival.

BUT WE NEED YOUR HELP. I don't just want to find regular blah bands who are interested in promoting their iTunes. I want to find the legit, real-deal Bob Dylans out there who know that this is our movement, and this is our civil rights battle that we all are a part of. Do you know who those artists are? Signed, or unsigned... who are the voices that are going to bring everybody together??

So that's what I'm workin on. 24/7. The event is called 1fest, and it's scheduled for April 19. People from all over CA are already coordinating buses for this. Gotta get everyone in on this....

It's the music... the music will bring the people together... It's a music revolution. I truly believe that...

Music.

2009-02-08T16:09:00.000-08:00

The music. Will bring. The people. Together.
The music. Will save. The world. Forever.

FYI - It's cold in Boston...

2009-02-07T02:45:00.000-08:00

Hung out with friends from South Africa who live on this coast. Very mellow. It's frickin cold. Early morning cab to catch the first flight back. Wanna make it to Courage Camp.

Later NY.

2009-02-06T02:44:00.000-08:00

Last night we went to Brooklyn. That was the most rad shit I've done in a long time. We went to a bar where the door was hidden along some dark alleyway, and if I hadn't been with people who knew the area, I never would've known where to find it. The night was eventful. But we left early round 2 and caught a cab back to Manhattan. Off to Boston. I hear it's cold.

Trees in the Park.

2009-02-05T20:48:00.000-08:00

Central Park.

2009-01-30T22:23:00.000-08:00

I asked if I could take her picture. She said, "Why?" I asked, "Why not?"

...

45th n 9th Ave.

2009-01-28T06:23:00.000-08:00

Took a bus up to NY. Then a cab. Gonna hang in Manhattan for a bit. Maybe head out to Brooklyn to see what's up. I'm thinkin a lot about this city. Is it for me? I wanna move out here, you know. Just another city to get on top of and add to the list. Makes me miss London and Cape Town a bit.