Activism

Activism takes many forms for sex and gender minorities. Most activism is legal and non-violent, but activists may decide to use extralegal or even violent tactics in some cases, such as ACT UP demonstrations or the Stonewall Riots.

Grassroots activism

• Volunteering and donating
• Letter writing, petitions, phone calls and texts
• Participating in local meetings and events

Organized activism

• Lobbying
• Litigation
• Running for office
• Demonstrating

Economic activism

• Consumer activism: education, boycotts
• Picketing and striking
• Selective purchasing
• Ethical investing
• Economic sanctions

Professional activism

In recent decades sex and gender minority communities have achieved the donor base required to employ professional activists and advocacy groups:

• Law and politics
• Youth
• Race and ethnicity
• Media and arts
• Workplace
• Healthcare
• Sexuality
• Faith-based
• Academic
• Consumer

Extralegal activism

Most activism is legal, but in some cases activists choose to break existing laws to achieve their goals.

• Civil disobedience and resistance
• Political vandalism
• Monkeywrenching and sabotage
• Political violence by non-state actors