- Chris Mason (activist)
-
Chris Mason 
Born Christopher Michael Mason
December 14, 1981
Fitchburg, Massachusetts,
United StatesOrganization MassEquality, Join The Impact Massachusetts, Phelps-A-Thon, Progressive Approach, Inc. Influenced by Martin Luther King Jr., Harvey Milk, Mahatma Gandhi, Bayard Rustin, Henry David Thoreau 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.[1]
Contents
Early life
Chris grew up in Lunenburg, Massachusetts, son of Karen and Tom Mason. He is the third of four children. At age 9, Chris 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.[2]
In 1996, when Chris was 14 years old, he came out to his parents, friends, family, and classmates. At age 15, Chris started a campaign to expel military recruiters from his high school based on the district’s non-discrimination policy.[3] He was the president of the gay/straight alliance and worked to educate others at school and in the community on LGBT issues.[4]
After high school Chris attended Bunker Hill Community College before transferring to Tufts University where he is currently working toward a bachelor's degree in Sociology, with a focus in Social Inequalities and Social Change.
Activism
In 2004, Chris 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, as her opponent, State Representative Emile Goguen sought to remove the four Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court justices that voted in favor of same-sex marriage.[5]
Later in 2004, Chris 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 also worked as the Assistant Canvass Director, knocking on doors across the state to discuss marriage equality with Massachusetts citizens.[6] Chris is featured in the documentary film, Saving Marriage, highlighting his role working to protect equal marriage rights in Massachusetts.[7]
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.[8]
On February 5, 2008, Chris was elected to Ward 1 of the Cambridge Democratic City Committee. Later that year he was appointed Commissioner to the City of Cambridge GLBT Commission by the Cambridge City Manager.[9]
On April 27, 2009, at a ceremony in Cambridge City Hall, Chris was honored by Mayor Denise Simmons 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. During the ceremony, Chris was presented with the Key to the City of Cambridge.[10]
Later in 2009, Chris 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 today’s mass media.[11]
In June of 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”.[12]
Targeted by Hate Group
In May 2007, November 2008, and again in May 2009; Chris was targeted by MassResistance, a conservative organization based in Massachusetts and identified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.[13][14] The organization posted false information, photos and videos of Chris, along with edited snippets of his writings, on their website, describing him as a being a "prominent homosexual activist"[15] with "a long history of hateful and angry activities and writing against pro-family groups and individuals.”[16] MassResistance started a campaign to have Chris removed from his job at the Massachusetts State House, urging readers to contact Senate President Therese Murray.[17] After a November 2008 rally, the hate grouped charged Chris with being "a hardcore homosexual activist with a long history of venom and rage against people of faith."[18]
The Driving Equality Project
On May 10, 2009, Chris set off 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. Chris conducted interviews with LGBT activist, allies, and opponents across the country. During the trip Chris stopped at the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) and interviewed Shirley Phelps-Roper, a church member who often protests with signs that read "god hates fags".[19] He also interviewed Daniel Nicoletta, protege of Harvey Milk, in San Francisco.[20] 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 serval miles. Upon stopping at a rest area, the Driving Equality van was surrounded and searched by five police officers, damaging professional equipment.[21] The first part of The Driving Equality Project, the equality drive, is complete. Part two; a documentary of Chris' experience 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.[22]
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.[23] 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.[24]
Phelps-A-Thon.com assists groups that are being picketed by WBC in setting up a Telethon type of 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.[25] The longer they protest, the more money they raise for the cause they are 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 sat down for a conversation with Shirley Phelps-Roper, the daughter of Fred Phelps, to get a better understanding of why the groups feels the need to spread their hateful message. In a video clip of the interview, Chris asks Shirley her opinion of the Phelps-A-Thon counter-protests that, unbeknownst to her, he organizes and promotes. Shirley tells Chris that people pledging to the Phelps-A-Thons should "give a lot of money." She continues on to say, "if you are giving over your soul, make it worthwhile. Don't be lame."[26]
Join The Impact Massachusetts
In November of 2008, after the passage of Proposition 8 in California, Chris and four others came together to create and co-chair the grassroots LGBT direct-action organization, Join The Impact Massachusetts. Together, they organized one of the largest LGBT-related protests in the history of New England, drawing a crowd of over 4000 demonstrators.[27] Join The Impact Massachusetts continues to advocate for LGBT rights in the state and beyond.
Progressive Approach, Inc.
Early in 2010, Chris founded the non-profit organization, Progressive Approach, Inc. and serves as the group's President. The organization is aimed at creating a more harmonious world by promoting progressive ideals and taking a lead in the social issues of the day.[28] Progressive Approach, Inc. is a non-profit entity in the state of Massachusetts and is pending 501(c)3 tax-deductible status.
References
- ^ Chris Mason.org
- ^ T.C. Passios Newsletter
- ^ Baltrusis, Sam (May / June 2009). "Introducing...Our annual people profiles", Spirit Magazine, p. 34.
- ^ Polari Magazine
- ^ Nolte, Carl (November 26, 2003). "City Hall Slayings: 25 Years Later", Sentinel & Enterprise, p. A-1.
- ^ Colbert, Chuckl (August 3, 2005). "Marriage Momentum", In Newsweekly, p. A-8.
- ^ Saving Marriage The Movie
- ^ Kilduff, Thomas (July 19, 2006). "Activist Christopher Mason Launches Mass Action Blog", In Newsweekly, p. A-9.
- ^ Cambridge GLBT Commission
- ^ Driving Equality
- ^ Bated Breath Films
- ^ Bay WIndows
- ^ Southern Poverty Law Center
- ^ MassResistance declared a hate group
- ^ Homosexual activists terrorize Boston church
- ^ MassResistance
- ^ Incoming Senate President hires angry homosexual activist as Executive Assistant
- ^ Hideous gay 'protests' in Boston and around the country
- ^ Interview with Shirley Phelps-Roper
- ^ Driving Equality
- ^ The Huffington Post
- ^ Driving Equality
- ^ Edge Boston
- ^ Phelps-A-Thon
- ^ God Hates Fags
- ^ Chris Mason interviews Shirley Phelps of the "God Hates Fags" Westboro Baptist Church - YouTube
- ^ The Boston Globe
- ^ Progressive Approach
External links
Categories:- LGBT rights activists
- 1981 births
- Living people
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