If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
At the level of our political government, we fashion our laws and concepts in our own image, and not the other way around.
Some people are arguing that the movement toward marriage equality is going too quickly. They say that it would be better to go more slowly in granting same-sex couples the right to marry. Should we go slowly in ensuring freedom and equality for all people because it will upset bigots?
Lazy religion doesn't think in terms of people; it thinks in terms of abstract theological concepts and issue based stereotypes. It politicizes unique and beautiful individuals made in the image of God.
LGBT people wear invisible duct tape over our mouths every day -- not as a publicity stunt but as a mode a survival. We remain silent to avoid personal and familial rejection, to keep our jobs and our homes and to protect our physical safety. Our fear is real.
I know that the entire queer community is not on the same page on the issue of marriage, and I don't think we need to be, but I want to say why I haven't been jumping on the marriage bandwagon, and I want to really give context to my hesitation.
It's not that you disagree with me, and it's not that you're a proud Christian. The reason I call you a bigot, and the reason that we cannot politely agree to disagree, is that you are trying to make me, my life and my family subject to your opinion and/or religious belief.
We can support our friends who want to get married while realizing that marriage doesn't speak to all of our experiences, reflecting on those whose systemic issues that marriage can't fix. What about the queer and trans youth whose problems a ring can't fix? We need to put a roof on it.
I was born a Democrat. My father was a Democrat as was his father and my great-grandfather, too. I guess I never really questioned the values of the Democratic Party when I was a child. But I am announcing today that I have become a Republican.
This has been a pattern with HRC over the years: proactively taking steps to publicly promote the idea that they're trans-inclusive and supportive, but then quickly throwing those ideals and the promises they represent out the window the moment they become a little inconvenient.
Jesus' kingdom was not of this earth. And yet we Christians continually repeat the mistake of seeking earthly power, glory, and acceptance. But when we do that, those who disagree with us get hurt.
How dare we who are heterosexual presume to control and limit LGBT people's lives? How dare we suffer the conceit that being gay is mutable and can or should be changed by therapy?
I came to understand I was uniquely positioned to make a contribution (as are all gay people in these historic times) because I appreciated the unique gift of being born gay. I always "leaned in" by coming out and staying out.
As the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the cases challenging Prop 8 and DOMA social media outlets were covered in red in support of marriage equality. Meet the talent behind the red: Anastasia Khoo, Marketing Director for the Human Rights Campaign.
My immigrant experience can never be divided from my queer experience. What I love about the LGBTQ community is our diversity of experiences, and our stories, but the different ways that discrimination touches our lives creates a special challenge for leaders in our movement.
When people openly express their discomfort about the red HRC logo heavily populating their Facebook and Twitter news feeds, they're doing more than simply raging against the Gay Inc. machine.
I hope Chad Griffin and Jeff Krehely take the time over the next few months to sit with the trans community to find a way past injuries and old wounds. If Israel and Turkey can resolve their differences, surely HRC and the trans community can.
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