I should be honest from the start, I've never really been a big advocate for gay rights, gay marriage, gay anything....I kind of felt like just "mixing in" would be more powerful then anything. A way, in sorts, to prove that we really aren't different at all. I always believed that breaking down stereotypes one ignorant person at a time would be much more effective then covering myself in rainbows while declaring to the world that I'm "gay and proud"...and pissed off. But, as I find myself singing Alicia Keys (and Jay Z's) song...again...I realize how proud I am for this moment. Proud to be a part of changing times...proud that it's going in this direction...proud that it's, well, NEW YORK! At times I feel ashamed for not doing more. When amazing people step up and "fight the fight" that isn't even, technically, 'theirs', I feel like I'm taking the easy way out, just waiting...waiting to reap the benefits. But, I know that I make tiny changes in the world immediately around me and, in time, with enough people doing that, it does actually make a difference. But, it makes me appreciate those people who are getting, well, "loud" in a way that I never used to appreciate them. When people like Claire Buffie, my good friend's lil' sister, and former Miss NY choose "Straight for Equality: Let's Talk" as a pageant platform, it's incredibly moving. Filled with love for her sister, her family, and driven by a dream of equality, Claire tackled real issues with real elegance and passion. She never cowered in the face of adversity (and she faced a lot) and, I believe, brave people like Claire had a big influence on this change. It makes me proud...proud of Claire on a personal level, but also proud to be a part of a society that includes people like her. Looking at it from this perspective feels good---feels much better then looking at the half empty glass of "well, if ignorant assholes didn't exist, it wouldn't be such a big fight...". That view still exists within me, but, as time passes, as more and more people step up to fight these kinds of things, and, as change actually occurs, I find that, along with everything else in life, having the glass half full is so much more joyful.
And although I am happy that the possibility exists (obviously), no, I will not be running off to NY to get married (yet)! But, my love goes out to all those committed, loving couples who will now be able to express their love in a way they always dreamed. You deserve it.
1 comment:
Reading about the path to passing this legislation in New York, it turns out that many of the people who supported the bill (including Republican supporters) had close relatives or friends who were gay. To me, that is a powerful message that just by being themselves, GLBT folks make a difference in the lives of those around them, and that can have big results (i.e. rippling over into things like NY passing marriage equality).
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