“Martin Luther King shows us how to harness the immense power of the queer community”

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Today we honor Martin Luther King, Jr., whose philosophy of nonviolent resistance is one any movement could look to for guidance. 

Nonviolent protest is a form of resistance that seeks to create social change by means of civil disobedience or political noncooperation while refraining from violence of any kind. 

King’s philosophy of nonviolence was inspired by the teachings of Gandhi, who emphasized the importance of love and nonviolence. He saw Gandhi’s teachings as the ideal method for achieving social reform, and he made use of them during the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955. He led the boycott with unarmed bodyguards despite threats on his life, and he reacted to the bombing of his home with compassion. 

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King believed that “darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that. The beauty of nonviolence is that in its own way and in its own time it seeks to break the chain reaction of evil.” 

King’s way of thinking also has data to back it up. Research suggests that nonviolent protests are ten times more successful than violent ones. In her book, Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict, Harvard Professor Erica Chenoweth explains how civil resistance campaigns garner more support. 

Chenoweth explains, “Nonviolent campaigns are on average four times larger than the average violent campaign, and are often more representative in terms of gender, age, race, political party, class, and the urban/rural distinction. Civil resistance allows people of all different levels of physical abilities to participate. Everyone is born with the ability to resist nonviolently. Violent resistance is a little more demanding and therefore more exclusive.”

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The march is a prime example of the power of peaceful protests and the immense impact they can generate. King knew this, and now we must follow in his footsteps.  

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[from the article “Martin Luther King shows us how to harness the immense power of the queer community” in LGBTQ Nation]