They are usually the quite ones working in the background. When I was in grad school one of my classes talked about Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals and one of the things that Alinsky talked about was the inside and outside games.
Rule 8: Keep the pressure on. Use different tactics and actions and use all events of the period for your purpose. "The major premise for tactics is the development of operations that will maintain a constant pressure upon the opposition. It is this that will cause the opposition to react to your advantage.
What they mean when they say an outside game is the protesters on the street, the letters-to-the-editor, the grassroots lobbying, and the door-to-door campaigns versus the inside campaigns of politicians and government officials. They are both important!
Sarah McBride, the nation’s first transgender state lawmaker, has been a major force in forging the president’s worldview of LGBTQ rights.PoliticoBy Myah WardJuly 4, 2023Speaking before the largest Pride celebration in White House history this month, President Joe Biden looked out at the crowd and marveled at the people in front of him. He recognized “leaders across our administration,” like Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine, and took time to acknowledge his ambassador to Switzerland, Scott Miller, among other LGBTQ luminaries.Along the way, Biden dropped another name, of a relatively obscure Delaware state senator.“I am proud,” Biden said, “that back home in Delaware [we have] the first transgender state legislator in American history, Sarah McBride.”Five days later, at the signing of an executive order “advancing protections for LGBTQI+ Individuals,” Biden mentioned McBride again. “Sarah,” he said, “you’re — wonderful to see you, kiddo.”[…]McBride’s close ties with the Biden family date back over 15 years. Last week, the country’s first transgender state senator announced she’s running for Delaware’s open House seat, in a bid that could make her the first openly transgender member of the U.S. Congress.
That is what is called the “inside game”
KGO ABC &ByTara CampbellJune 12, 2023[…]Elsewhere in the city, young voices were saying enough is enough.Sixteen-year-old transgender activist Hope led the march down Market Street to San Francisco City Hall."It really scares me for the future, because I know that there has been times in history where it just starts out with state bills, and then it goes to a national level," Hope said."What's going on in this country right now is actually kind of terrifying," Sol, another activist, said.[…]"We can't be silenced," activist Abby said. "We are not going to just let them take away our rights even if they're in another place, even if they're not right here. We're going to fight for them."
That is what is called the “outside game” and both are important!
We need people like Sarah McBride working from within the “system” to bring about change because with people like Rep. McBride and HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine shaping the changes and building allies in government. While those like the Abby are keeping our message in the spotlight.
I look back at the 2007 – 2011 time frame and how we worked the inside and outside games. I look at politicians like the co-chairs on the Judaical Committee Sen. Andrew J. McDonald and Rep. Mike Lawlor and Gov. Malloy who are strong allies of the trans community (I met them at a fundraiser for GenderPAC in 2005). Had the inside game while the ADC (Anti-Discrimination Coalition) had the outside game. They organized “Town-hall” meetings around the state, lobby days, letters-to-the-editor campaigns, media interviews, and kept the spotlight on the bills.
And now we have to do it again and we cannot forget the inside and outside push. We cannot sit around on our thumbs but we need to breakout the protest signs and start marching!
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