Liberty and Pride

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

-- Edmund Burke

On Saturday, June 28, 1969, police staged what was supposed to be a routine raid in the ongoing persecution of gay men and lesbians in New York City. The site was a bar in Greenwich Village known as the Stonewall Inn. On that summer night, rather than succumb again to shame and denigration, patrons in the bar began to fight back. The riots that ensued were the birth of the modern movement for gay rights. Each year the LGBT community marches on the last Sunday in June to commemorate and remember this historic event, now known simply as "Stonewall."

Much has happened in the forty-one years since Stonewall. We've moved beyond the era of repression and bar raids, suffered the ravages of the AIDS epidemic, witnessed the lifesaving miracle of HAART treatment for HIV, seen sodomy laws struck down by the Supreme Court, gained the right to marry in six states, and seen laws protecting us from discrimination pass in many states and municipalities.

Yet much remains to be done. The forces of hate and ignorance are alive and well as lesbians and gay men continue to be targets for violence and murder. Eighteen years after "Don't Ask Don't Tell" was adopted, over 13,000 men and women have been discharged from the military for being homosexual, and hundreds continue to be discharged every year. While we can marry in six jurisdictions (Connecticut, District of Columbia, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont), this right was taken from us in two states (California and Maine) after hard-fought and expensive battles.

What we've experienced over the past four decades has made it easy for the movement to lose momentum. Some of our boldest voices were lost to AIDS. Veterans who survived the epidemic suffer from post-traumatic stress and burnout. Many younger gay men and lesbians have grown up in a more accepting and tolerant culture, blunting the urgency and desire to become politically active. The repeal of marriage rights in California and Maine left one young gay man I know shocked and angry. Only after this major setback did he understand the need for ongoing vigilance and activism.

If all LGBT people and our straight allies took two simple actions, we could transform society.

1. Find an organization involved in LGBT issues that you believe in and sign up to make monthly contributions of money or time. The amount needn't be extravagant - continued support is more important than a one time heroic measure.
2. Speak up on behalf of equality whenever the opportunity arises.

Motivated by another Gay Pride celebration on a beautiful, hot, sticky NYC day, I am recommitting myself to these actions. I invite my readers to join me in working to gain full equality for the LGBT community.