Activist Fic
Hey guys, have you all heard about National Marriage Equality Day? It's a counter-protest to the Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day. GLBT supporters are supposed to head out to a business that supports same-sex marriage and equality and publicly patronize them. There's a facebook group for it where people are posting their pictures. Some people have raised concerns, that spending money at a mass corporation isn't the best form of activism in the world...but I kinda like it. I think urging big businesses towards ethical practices, and then publicly rewarding them, is a really good idea.
So here's a ficlet about Piper grappling with those issues. It's Pre-boot future AU, so the West twins are teenagers.
Being a seasoned activist, Piper was a little hesitant about Marriage Equality Day (and it didn’t really help that he’d spent most of August 1 making fun of the bigots standing in line at Chick-Fil-A). He just didn’t get how patronizing a corporation translated into standing up for civil rights.
Ultimately, Piper decided there wasn’t any harm in it, but figured that he’d just go about his normal business on August 7. He declined the invite Linda sent him on facebook to patronize a major business that had made an official statement respecting LGBT rights, but didn’t plan on going out of his way to avoid those products either.
The morning of August 7, Piper was startled awake by a car horn blaring. With his hands over his ears, he over to his bedroom window and peered down at his front lawn. Linda’s car was pulled up over his front walk, and she had the windows down blaring ‘City Hall’ by Vienna Teng. The twins were in the backseat singing along, and Jai was wearing the Pride shirt Piper had bought him at the parade that year.
Linda leaned out the window to smile and wave at him, and he flipped her off.
He went downstairs and got in the car though.
“So where are we going?” Piper asked, resigned to being a hostage.
“Starbucks,” Linda said happily. “I promised the twins fraps, and then I’m gonna download some new e-books from Amazon, and then we’re going to the Gap to buy some school clothes.”
“It’s okay Uncle Piper, Mom said you could leave after Starbucks,” Irey said, giving him a bracing pat on the shoulder.
Piper kept his misgivings about this form of activism to himself until the twins were in line buying their drinks while he and Linda staked out a table.
Linda nodded politely while he talked about his concerns, then, as was her way, she put his protests to shame with her own insightful analysis. “Hartley, that’s all well and good for old school activism, but this is a new generation, and this is how my son wants me to support him. These big companies may have their issues, but they’ve all come out in support of same sex equality and marriage. Frankly, I’m perfectly happy giving my money, and doing so publicly, to anyone who respects my son’s right to marry the love of his life and make me a grandmother.”
Piper nodded, wondering if he really was out of touch with the new generation of activists. “Maybe I’ll come along for the back to school shopping too.”
“That’s the spirit.”
And now, back to my latte :)
So here's a ficlet about Piper grappling with those issues. It's Pre-boot future AU, so the West twins are teenagers.
Being a seasoned activist, Piper was a little hesitant about Marriage Equality Day (and it didn’t really help that he’d spent most of August 1 making fun of the bigots standing in line at Chick-Fil-A). He just didn’t get how patronizing a corporation translated into standing up for civil rights.
Ultimately, Piper decided there wasn’t any harm in it, but figured that he’d just go about his normal business on August 7. He declined the invite Linda sent him on facebook to patronize a major business that had made an official statement respecting LGBT rights, but didn’t plan on going out of his way to avoid those products either.
The morning of August 7, Piper was startled awake by a car horn blaring. With his hands over his ears, he over to his bedroom window and peered down at his front lawn. Linda’s car was pulled up over his front walk, and she had the windows down blaring ‘City Hall’ by Vienna Teng. The twins were in the backseat singing along, and Jai was wearing the Pride shirt Piper had bought him at the parade that year.
Linda leaned out the window to smile and wave at him, and he flipped her off.
He went downstairs and got in the car though.
“So where are we going?” Piper asked, resigned to being a hostage.
“Starbucks,” Linda said happily. “I promised the twins fraps, and then I’m gonna download some new e-books from Amazon, and then we’re going to the Gap to buy some school clothes.”
“It’s okay Uncle Piper, Mom said you could leave after Starbucks,” Irey said, giving him a bracing pat on the shoulder.
Piper kept his misgivings about this form of activism to himself until the twins were in line buying their drinks while he and Linda staked out a table.
Linda nodded politely while he talked about his concerns, then, as was her way, she put his protests to shame with her own insightful analysis. “Hartley, that’s all well and good for old school activism, but this is a new generation, and this is how my son wants me to support him. These big companies may have their issues, but they’ve all come out in support of same sex equality and marriage. Frankly, I’m perfectly happy giving my money, and doing so publicly, to anyone who respects my son’s right to marry the love of his life and make me a grandmother.”
Piper nodded, wondering if he really was out of touch with the new generation of activists. “Maybe I’ll come along for the back to school shopping too.”
“That’s the spirit.”
And now, back to my latte :)