Gays and Lesbians

[Modem Butterfly]

It's June, which is the month for which gay and lesbian pride celebrations fall in most cities. If you're not gay, you might not attend the celebrations and parades, but whether or not you know it, you owe a lot to gay people.

Gays and lesbians have been at the forefront of the women's rights movement, the reproductive rights movement, the free speech movement and the civil rights movement. Fighting against great bigotry, both within and without, gay and lesbian people have advanced the cause of human rights greatly, both in the United States and abroad. Gays and lesbians have been prominent in the arts world since the days of Sappho and Plato and have contributed greatly to human thought and aspiration. Gays and lesbians have contributed so much to our society, often with no acknowledgement of the truth of their lives and frequently at great personal risk to themselves. We owe a lot to gay and lesbian people. It's time we started giving back and recognized that gay rights are HUMAN rights, and that bigotry does not stop at the bedroom door.

[sniffa]

1. .

:applause: :yourock:

[Marnieworld]

2. See? This is what I was talkin' 'bout!

You go girl! :hi:

What would the world be without gay people? Bad decorating, no musicals and uncomfortable shoes. The rainbow has all colors and that's why it's beautiful. Gay rights= human rights. right on!

:applause:

[terrya]

3. Beautiful. Thank you.

Thank you for posting this. Seriously.

Terry

[Horse with no Name]

4. Very nice.

[beam me up scottie]

5. Thank you for that and so much more.

And also for being the best friends I could ever ask for.

[eallen]

6. Hear! Hear!

:hippie:

[BeeBee]

7. Thanks! n/t

[Chovexani]

8. Great post.

I would only amend that to add bisexuals and our transgendered brothers and sisters. We've been fighting too, most often invisibly. :hi:

[wicket]

9. Amen!

:kick:

[Ioo]

10. I love gays...

Because if I did not, I would get no love...

My partner and I are in our 11th year.

[Modem Butterfly]

11. It's like that t-shirt

I'm not gay but my boyfriend is...

[Tux]

25. LOL

My friend has a shirt that has that Teletubbie and Spongebob with the Focus on the Family logo BUT the logo has rainbow colors on it. He's straight and won't make one for anyone else. Bastard.

[karlrschneider]

20. 24 years next month

:D

[frictionlessO]

12. You are most certainly correct!! I'd give a standing O to all my GLBT

friends here if I could!! Seriously they are the forefront for humam rights here in America.

:applause: :applause: :applause:

[Allenberg]

13. Bravo.

I'm one of the few straight men in my social circle that's as fervent for gay rights as the gay men.

[mogster]

14. That is so true!

Every word. I can't believe that some people could want a society without gays and lesbians, it would no doubt be a serious blow to the social fabric.

This is a side of the story that gets too little attention; the positive effect gay people has on our societies, because they are gay and see the importance of democracy and free speech from a different perspective. Among other things. Gay people has earned the right to be treated as people, and just that. Just as everybody else. It freaks me that this still is questioned some places, to be honest.

[elshiva]

15. YAY! The gay agenda is a culture of peace and human rights!

:yourock:

[Coloradan4Truth]

16. Right On!!

:patriot:

Thank you for saying this!

[Terran]

17. Thank you!

I love my people!

[Modem Butterfly]

18. Lord how I love Pride...

!

[beam me up scottie]

23. That photo is PRICELESS!

I'm saving that one!
Thanks for posting it for the poor folks who live in repressed red states!

[beam me up scottie]

19. kick!

:toast:

[Swede]

21. Gays and lesbians are human beings.

As deserving of respect and dignity as anyone. How can anyone not see that?

[Mythsaje]

22. My wife and I

are planning on attending at least one day of the celebration in Seattle later this month.

Neither of us have ever been to one, but we've seen them on TV enough. Queer as Folk is one of the shows we watch religiously. We also watch the 'L' Word.

[eridani]

27. I hope the Lesbian/Gay Buddhists show up again

A few years back, one lesbian carried a double-sided sign. One side said DHARMA DYKE, and the other "Don't Just Come Out, BE HERE!"

The event is a real blast!

[Mythsaje]

29. RIght on!

I like those!

If we go we'll be there representing the Tacoma Pagan community, more or less, showing our support for the cause.

[dsc]

24. thanks

There are several Pride events in the Carolinas between late May and late September. I intend to go to some of them. Summers off are nice.

[libnnc]

26. thank you, thank you, thank you...

From this NC lesbian.

:grouphug: :cry: :yourock:


:woohoo: :applause:

[eridani]

28. Cool article from Colors Northwest

http://www.colorsnw.com/cover_story.html

In interviewing for the story, we were gratified to find a remarkable cross-section of individuals who embodied this borderlands experience. We hoped, but did not expect, to find a few shared themes that would tie the story together. In truth, the results surprised us. Despite their completely different ethnic, cultural, gender, sexual identity and regional backgrounds, each woman or man told stories whose sub-themes were remarkably similar and complementary. These themes, of coming out, self-acceptance and community serve as the framework for this piece and, we hope, put a multifaceted human face on to the often shrill, partisan rhetoric around gay rights.

This isn’t to say that we should think of queer people of color somehow as being lumped into one, indistinguishable sub-group. Nothing could, in fact, be further from the truth. Everyone has his or her story to tell; everyone has experienced a unique set of struggles, pains and triumphs. But there is a reason for queer people of color to celebrate their struggle together – and for everyone to understand and support them in their journey.

All of the people who shared their stories consider themselves to be community activists in one form or another. This group included Tamika Johnson, a 28-year-old African-American woman trained in domestic violence education and counseling, who moved to Seattle five years ago. Mala Nagarajan, 37, and her life partner Vega Subramaniam, 39, are both Indian American and are involved in a lawsuit to legalize same-sex marriage in Washington state.

Vietnamese-American Truc Nguyen, 33, moved from Connecticut to Seattle in 1995 and was the recipient of a Minority Executive Directors Coalition President’s Award for her work with the King County agency last year. A 27-year-old born in India who lost his grandmother to anti-Sikh religious violence, Harnik Gulati has earned his Master’s in Public Health and Social Work and done extensive work on HIV/AIDS issues. Last, but certainly not least, anti-rape educator Xandra Ibarra moved to Seattle from El Paso, Texas, four years ago. She works at Communities Against Rape and Abuse, and is a member of the nation’s first all-queer burlesque troupe, Burly Q.

Here they are, in their own words, sharing deeply personal and often-painful stories about family, community and identity.

[Modem Butterfly]

31. Very cool! Kicking for this article! Y'all need to read THIS!

This article deserves it's own thread

[eridani]

33. OK--General Discussion, or the gay issues group? n/t

[Modem Butterfly]

34. Everyone needs to see it. Post it in GD

It will reach the greatest number of folks that way.

[NMMNG]

30. Hear Hear!

:yourock:

[Misunderestimator]

32. Thanks for posting this, MB!

:yourock:

[us1]

35. go for it

go for it