I'm struggling with my thoughts this day, so this may seem a bit disjointed. U.S. legislators are upset, frightened, worried about being at risk, resulting in the largest all-legislator conference call ever. I wonder if they ever thing about how others feel. People of color know that fear. One event and everyone rightly fears for their lives and their communities. LGBT people certainly know that fear even today. I'm listening to Rep. James Clyburn (Dem.SC) speaking right now of The Ed Show about how the line's been crossed. It has, indeed. Security for congressional members is THE conversation of the day. I think that's all okay and have no problem with the current conversation, but I want our legislators to look beyond their own fears to what we LGBT experience nearly every day. They're walking in our pumps....and they don't even know it. I want them to know it, to acknowledge that what they're experiencing is not new to some communities. It hurts as much, it's as frightening as much, it's as horrible as much. I guess I'm looking for some empathy from those who have the power to put sexual orientation and gender identity/expression in the federal non-discrimination laws. Maybe, after the initial fear has subsided, they'll look beyond themselves....or will they just go back to business as usual, scapegoating as usual, disregarding and forgetting those extreme feelings as they pack their guns to work.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Happy New Year and New Decade!
In this time of change, may this new decade be the one in which "sexual orientation" and "gender identity/expression" are added to the federal civil rights laws. Until that happens, LGBT people are not fully free in this country. While the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell and the addition of same sex marriages in some states are critically important, they do not represent the full range of civil rights for most of us. In fact, as of this writing, it remains legal in 29 states to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity/expression (www.hrc.org). In 29 states, people may lose their jobs and their children because they are LGBT or even perceived to be LGBT
Remember the Equal Rights amendment? The text was: Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex. It was never passed. The website says: "As supporters of the Equal Rights Amendment between 1972 and 1982 lobbied, marched, rallied, petitioned, picketed, went on hunger strikes, and committed acts of civil disobedience, it is probable that many of them were not aware of their place in the long historical continuum of women’s struggle for constitutional equality in the United States. From the very beginning, the inequality of men and women under the Constitution has been an issue for advocacy." (http://www.equalrightsamendment.org/era.htm).
May THIS be the decade that ALL people in the United States of America find equality and freedom, both in the law of the land and within our own hearts.
Happy New Year, friends....
Ronni
Remember the Equal Rights amendment? The text was: Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex. It was never passed. The website says: "As supporters of the Equal Rights Amendment between 1972 and 1982 lobbied, marched, rallied, petitioned, picketed, went on hunger strikes, and committed acts of civil disobedience, it is probable that many of them were not aware of their place in the long historical continuum of women’s struggle for constitutional equality in the United States. From the very beginning, the inequality of men and women under the Constitution has been an issue for advocacy." (http://www.equalrightsamendment.org/era.htm).
May THIS be the decade that ALL people in the United States of America find equality and freedom, both in the law of the land and within our own hearts.
Happy New Year, friends....
Ronni
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