1 post tagged “gay”
I’ve been gay and out for about 12 years. It’s interesting to see how life has changed for gays and towards gays during this time.
I remember when Ellen came out and it was all anyone could talk about and gays gathered around our tvs and watched her character say “I’m gay”. I don’t think I ever truly understood the power that moment had on the LGBT community.
I remember when Matthew Shephard died. And this time the gays gathered in the streets …we were angry.
I remember 8 years ago during the election when “gay rights” was neck and neck with abortion rights. We all know where that value statement got us.
I remember when we all knew the same 5 gay out celebrities: KD Lang, Melissa Etheridge, RuPaul, Boy George and Richard Simmons (I’ll go out on a limb with the last one).
I remember when Will & Grace was the only ‘gay’ show on tv.
All within that last 12 years…
Which is why the past 2 weeks has really blown my mind. Not only did Ellen Degeneres marry her partner…scratch that, her wife, Portia, their wedding photo was the cover of People magazine. People magazine!?
A gay diver won the Olympic gold medal but mostly people focused on the fact that it wasn’t a Chinese diver. Few if any similarities of Greg Louganis were mentioned.
The Democratic National Convention is appealing to the LGBT community vs repealing or sidestepping it. We have delegates. Lots and lots of delegates! Hell we have gotten mentions in nearly every speech and who didn’t catch the “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Suits” comment. You know what I mean *wink*.
Which brings me to today. Today Del Martin passed away. Del was an amazing lesbian activist all her life. She and her partner were together for 55 years and the 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling that Hillary made this year can’t compare to the truly amazing grassroots campaign Del and Phyllis have worked on for the past half century for gay and lesbian rights.
Perhaps Del’s passing is confirmation our fight to “Be” and “Be Gay” is finally over. Of course there is the pesky Don’t Ask Don’t Tell thing and the other 48 states that don’t recognize gay marriage…yet.
Maybe if I wait 2 more weeks I’ll see what I can do about that.
