Food For Thought

[Bill W]

An article I read about the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and the 'I Have a Dream' speach got me to thinking.  Cory Booker made this comment:

 

"When I used to walk around the community, walk around our home, he used to look at me and say, 'Boy, don't you dare walk around here like you hit a triple because you were born on third base. You are enjoying freedoms, opportunity, technology, things that were given to you bought by the struggles and the sacrifices and the work of those who came before. Don't you forget where you come from,'" Booker said.

 

This made me wonder where gay rights fit into this paradigm and this is what I came up with.

 

Gays first stepped up to the plate in 1969 with the Stonewall Riots and the start of the modern Gay Rights movement. 

 

I believe we made it to First Base in 2003, when the US Supreme Court declared sodomy laws unconstitutional, something Queen Elizabeth II did for the British colonies in 2001. 

 

I believe that in 2013 we are almost to Second Base, with the repeal of Don't Ask, Con't Tell, the invalication of the Defense of Marriage Act, 13 states and the District of Columbia allow gay marriage and several other states allow civil unions, plus other countries, such as France and the UK, also permit gay marriage.  I feel we will have reached second base when gays anywhere in the US can marry. 

 

The date for third base will be when no country bans gay marriage and we will finally cross home plate when gays are no longer despised by the majority of people in the world for whom they love.  I didn't say when no longer despised by anyone, because I believe that's an unrealistic goal, so I'll settle for the majority accepting us. 

 

Let me know what you think about this analogy, but please don't make your comments political.  This is merely a discussion on the advances gays have made and how far we still have to go. 

[Former Member]

I think the 'remember where you came from' is a good part of this.  Every victory should be celebrated...and then celebrated again when the next victory comes.

[Sasha Distan]

i agree with Myi. we should celebrate each victory, and be grateful for those who went before. but i don't think any good comes from feeling guilty that other went through shite before us. that wasn't our fault.

 

Brad Paisley has a song on very similar lines to do with accidental racism, about being a proud white southern boy, but wanting to understand what it's like not to be one. i think we're on a level peg with that.