How to Transform The System from Within: Richard Tafel LIVE on Big Think

On Tuesday, April 4th, 2012, we had the pleasure of interviewing Richard Tafel, human rights activist and founder of the policy advocacy organizations The Log Cabin Republicans and The Public Squared. Tafel, who has been named by Newsweek as one of the 30 most influential gay leaders in the United States, told us, “I’m proud that the gay civil rights movement is one of the great success stories of the last half of the 20th century.” But there’s more work to be done. If we want to transform the system, we have to play by the rules of the system, he says.

His big idea? Create a penalty for extremist politicians, which would push Democratic and Republican politicians to work together to find bipartisan solutions for the most pressing issues of the day. Watch the interview:

Tafel also talked with us about faith. Ordained as a Swedenborgian minister, spirituality informs all of his work, however, he believes that the Christian church has lost its “love thy neighbor” attitude. “Now I’m working with entrepreneurs to take on the world’s challenges,” he says.