Chris Mason (activist)

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Chris Mason
Born Christopher Michael Mason
(1981-12-14) December 14, 1981
Fitchburg, Massachusetts, United States
Organization MassEquality, Join The Impact Massachusetts, Phelps-A-Thon, Progressive Approach, Inc.
Political movement
 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Civil Rights Movement
Awards Key to the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts, (2009)

Christopher Michael Mason (born December 14, 1981) is an American LGBT activist in the state of Massachusetts. He is the founder of Phelps-A-Thon.com, Progressive Approach, Inc., TakeMassAction, Bated Breath Films, co-founder of Join The Impact Massachusetts, and the filmmaker behind The Driving Equality Project.

Early life

Mason grew up in Lunenburg, Massachusetts, son of Karen and Tom Mason. He is the third of four children. At age 9, he started an organization named S.C.A.R.F (Save Condemned Amazon Rain-Forest). He recruited members and together they canvassed door-to-door to raise money. With the money they raised, S.C.A.R.F. was able to buy and preserve an acre of land in the Amazon rainforest.[1]

In 1996, at age 14, he came out to his parents, friends, family, and classmates. At age 15, he started a campaign to expel military recruiters from his high school based on the school district's non-discrimination policy.[2] He was the president of the school's gay/straight alliance and worked to educate others at school and in the community on LGBT issues.[3]

After high school Mason attended Bunker Hill Community College and then Tufts University where he is working toward a bachelor's degree in sociology, with a focus in Social Inequalities and Social Change.

Activism

In 2004, Mason was the campaign manager for Susan Koeck, a candidate for State Representative in the city of Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Koeck's campaign highlighted the right of same-sex couples to marry, while her opponent, State Representative Emile Goguen, sought to remove from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court the four justices who approved the decision in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health (2003) that made same-sex marriage legal in Massachusetts.[4]

Later in 2004, Mason began working as a field organizer for MassEquality, the Boston-based organization created to lead the legislative battle to keep same-sex marriage legal in Massachusetts. He became its Assistant Canvass Director, knocking on doors across the state to discuss marriage equality with Massachusetts citizens.[5] Mason was featured in the documentary film, Saving Marriage, highlighting his role working to protect equal marriage rights in Massachusetts.[6]

In 2006, he created TakeMassAction, a watchdog organization dedicated to tracking the radical right in Massachusetts and alerting the LGBT community of upcoming events, rallies, protests, and legislative hearings involving LGBT issues.[7]

On February 5, 2008, Mason was elected to Ward 1 of the Cambridge Democratic City Committee. Later that year, the Cambridge City Manager appointed him to the City of Cambridge GLBT Commission.[8]

On April 27, 2009, at a ceremony in Cambridge City Hall, Mayor Denise Simmons honored Mason for his work on LGBT issues, including fundraising for Cambridge Rindge and Latin School's gay/straight alliance, Project 10 East, and the school's LGBT Families Initiative by means of a Phelps-A-Thon during an anti-gay protest against the school. She presented him with the Key to the City of Cambridge during the ceremony.[9]

Later in 2009, Mason launched Bated Breath Films, an independent film company focused on social justice and raising awareness by telling the personal stories of people who do not have a voice in the mass media.[10]

In June 2010, at the "Riots to Rights - Celebrating 40 Years of Progress" Cambridge Pride Brunch, Chris was honored by Cambridge Mayor David Maher and received the annual recognition award given to "those who have dedicated their lives to improving the GLBT community".[11]

Targeted by hate group

In May 2007, November 2008, and again in May 2009, Mason was targeted by MassResistance, a conservative organization based in Massachusetts and characterized/identified as a "hate group" by the Southern Poverty Law Center.[12] The organization posted false information, photos and videos of Mason, along with edited selections of his writings, on their website, describing him as a "prominent homosexual activist"[13] with "a long history of hateful and angry activities and writing against pro-family groups and individuals."[14] MassResistance started a campaign to have Mason removed from his job at the Massachusetts State House, urging readers to contact Senate President Therese Murray.[14] After a November 2008 rally, MassResistance called Mason "a hardcore homosexual activist with a long history of venom and rage against people of faith."[15]

The Driving Equality Project

On May 10, 2009, Mason began on a 107-day, 22,000 mile, 48-state trek across the United States in an effort to raise awareness of the various forms of discrimination faced by the LGBT community in each state of the nation. Highlighting the differences in rights, laws, and amendments between the states, the project hopes to shed light on the current social standing of LGBT individuals today. Mason conducted interviews with LGBT activist, allies, and opponents across the country. At the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) he interviewed Shirley Phelps-Roper, a church member who often protests with signs that read "god hates fags".[16] He also interviewed Daniel Nicoletta, protégé of Harvey Milk, in San Francisco.[17] While traveling through Indiana, Chris was stopped by the Indiana State Police. After discussing the pro-LGBT mission of his project, he was allowed to leave but followed for several miles. When he stopped at a rest area, his Driving Equality van was surrounded and searched by five police officers, who damaged professional equipment.[18] The first part of The Driving Equality Project, the equality drive, is complete. Part two, a documentary of Mason's experiences on the road, with the aim of activating a discussion about potential strategies for ensuring equality, has a tentative release date in summer of 2011.

Phelps-A-Thon

On December 12, 2008, Chris conducted his first Phelps-A-Thon as a counter-protest against members of the Westboro Baptist Church, and their leader, Rev. Fred Phelps, who were picketing a production of "The Laramie Project" at the Boston Center for the Arts. The event raised over $1,000 for the pro-LGBT project, Driving Equality.[19] After this first Phelps-A-Thon, people from around the country, upon learning they were going to be picketed by WBC, started contacting Chris, asking for help in setting up their own Phelps-A-Thons.[20]

Phelps-A-Thon.com assists groups that are being picketed by WBC in setting up a telethon-style counter-protest. Through the "Phelps-A-Thon.com" website, supporters are able to pledge online to donate a certain amount of money for every minute WBC pickets against a specific target, usually LGBT or Jewish groups.[21] The longer they protest, the more money is raised for the cause WBC is demonstrating against.

During a trek across the country to promote LGBT equality, Chris stopped in Topeka, Kansas to visit the Westboro Baptist Church. Concealing his activist identity, he spoke with Shirley Phelps-Roper, the daughter of Fred Phelps, to get a better understanding of why the groups feels the need to spread their message. Mason asked her opinion of the Phelps-A-Thon counter-protests and she replied that those pledging to the Phelps-A-Thons should "give a lot of money" because "if you are giving over your soul, make it worthwhile. Don't be lame."[22]

Join the Impact Massachusetts

In November 2008, after the passage of Proposition 8 in California, Mason and four others created and co-chaired the grassroots LGBT direct-action organization, Join The Impact Massachusetts. They organized one of the largest LGBT-related protests in the history of New England, drawing a crowd of over 4000 demonstrators.[23] Join The Impact Massachusetts continues to advocate for LGBT rights in the state and beyond.

Progressive Approach, Inc.

Early in 2010, Mason founded Progressive Approach, Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit organization based in Massachusetts. He serves as the group's President. The organization is aimed at creating a more harmonious world by promoting progressive ideals and taking a lead onsocial issues.[24]

References

  1. ↑ T.C. Passios Newsletter
  2. ↑ Sam Baltrusis, "Introducing...Our annual people profiles," Spirit Magazine, May/June 2009, p. 34.
  3. ↑ Polari Magazine: David Walters, "Driving Ambition," August 15, 2009, accessed March 5, 2012
  4. ↑ Carl Nolte, "City Hall Slayings: 25 Years Later", Sentinel & Enterprise, November 26, 2003, p. A-1.
  5. ↑ Chuckl Colbert, "Marriage Momentum", In Newsweekly, August 3, 2005, p. A-8.
  6. ↑ Saving Marriage The Movie
  7. ↑ Kilduff, Thomas "Activist Christopher Mason Launches Mass Action Blog", In Newsweekly, July 19, 2006, p. A-9.
  8. ↑ Cambridge GLBT Commission
  9. ↑ Driving Equality
  10. ↑ Bated Breath Films
  11. ↑ Bay Windows: Hannah Clay Wareham, "Cambridge Mayor comes out during Pride Brunch," June 15, 2010, accessed March 5, 2012
  12. ↑ Bay Windows: Ethan Jacobs, "Shocker: Mass Resistance declared a hate group," March 26, 2008, accessed March 5, 2012
  13. ↑ MassResistance: "Prominent homosexual activists lead screaming demonstration, terrorize Boston church sponsoring ex-gay religious event," May 1, 2009, accessed March 5, 2012
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 MassResistance: Incoming Senate President hires angry homosexual activist as Executive Assistant", accessed March 5, 2012
  15. ↑ MassResistance: "Hideous gay 'protests' in Boston and around the country -- threatening churches and private citizens, attacking pro-marriage supporters," November 21, 2008, accessed March 5, 2012
  16. ↑ Interview with Shirley Phelps-Roper
  17. ↑ Driving Equality
  18. ↑ Huffington Post: Bil Browning, "Indiana State Police Intimidate and Search Gay Rights Activist," August 29, 2009, accessed March 5, 2012
  19. ↑ Edge Boston: Rachel Kossman and Aviva Gat, "Phelps-a-thon, GLAD’s Goodridge podcast," December 7, 2008, accessed March 5, 2012]
  20. ↑ Phelps-A-Thon
  21. ↑ God Hates Fags
  22. ↑ Chris Mason interviews Shirley Phelps of the "God Hates Fags" Westboro Baptist Church - YouTube
  23. ↑ Boston Globe: "Thousands protest Calif. vote on gay marriage," November 16, 2008, accessed March 5, 2012
  24. ↑ Progressive Approach

External links

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