Civil Rights are Human Rights

I just got done watching both "Before Stonewall" and "After Stonewall". They are documentaries about gay and lesbian communities before and after the Stonewall riots of 1969. Interesting viewing, recommended to me by my friend R.E. Davis. He teaches a queer theory class at OU, if you're interested.

In case you were unaware, my brother is gay. Not only is he openly gay, but I am proud of the person he is and the person he has chosen to become in this day and age. He is an activist, and educator and a man who has lived with AIDS for over 20 years. He lives right now in Portland, Oregon.

These laws we have in the United States and in Oklahoma where I live that legislate against same sex marriage, they are unlawful. They are built on quasi-religious and bigoted values that say that if gays and lesbians are allowed to marry and thus become sanctioned and accepted by American society, then this would pull down the moral structure of the American way of life. "What's next?" decry the detractors, "Perhaps you can then marry your goat and all hell will break loose!"

I have one thing to say about that: bull (or ram, as the case may be). This is the same thing said by racists in the 1950's and 60's about inter-racial marriage. And also said by a Justice of the Peace in late 2009 when he refused to marry a white woman and a black man. Do us all a favor and go the way of the dinosaur.

I do predict that eventually, civil rights will prevail and all people, regardless of race or sexual orientation will be allowed to marry, settle down, pay taxes and make their neighborhoods more beautiful. This is exactly what I think will happen- not Armageddon.

You might not be ideologically aligned with my perspective. I respect that. This is the United States of America and you're allowed to have opinions that are different than mine. Moreover, you are not required to embrace all of my ideals in order to be my friend. But I would be lying to you if I didn't tell you this about myself: I am a friend to gays and lesbians. I am a friend to Black and White and Native American and Asian and Muslims and Hispanics and all of the colors of the rainbow. You need not have a DNA sample to make my acquaintance.

Having said that, I feel better. It's best you know the truth about me. Not only do I love my brother, but I am proud of him and support him ideologically and spiritually. If you cannot handle that about me, best you cut bait and run now. You don't even have to love him, just accept that he is who he is and that I love him and that there is not hing wrong with that. He doesn't hurt anyone. He helps people- people like me.

Thanks, Thorn. You give me hope. <3