Dehumanizing Gay People

Did you ever think you would see a Black president in your lifetime? That's a question asked over and over lately. It took 40 years since Dr. King to get this done. It took the most destructive, arrogant, self aggrandizing president in the history of this country to bring it about. It took every black civil rights leader on whose shoulders the new president stands. It took loss of jobs and homes and loss of U.S. respect in the world, and ruination of the planet. It took a special person with character, vision, intelligence and common sense, skill and decorum to weather the attacks, brave the threats and run the most organized grassroots campaign in this country's history. Why did it take all of that? Why are Americans so damn slow? Or so damn selfish.

Well, this nation held it back as long as it could. We grew up a lot in spite of ourselves in these last two years. Will we learn anything from this?

On that same triumphant night on that same California ballot, voters decided to undo a righted wrong by voting for Proposition 8 banning gay marriage after the state Supreme Court voted to allow it. How can this discrimination be in any way consistent, coherent? Easy, people don't see gay people as people. The dehumanizing of gay people makes it easy to deny us basic human rights. The same strategy is used in war. Dehumanizing the enemy makes it easier to dismiss and attack them.

We can argue against homophobia forever. We can argue with the church people with their love the sinner hate the sin bullshit, and their we are doing what God wants crap, until the earth turns backwards. We can try and explain that it's not a choice, that we don't want to recruit your damn kids, or interfere with your lousy marriages, until our faces turn blue. California is blue, Illinois is too, so what. I am tired of explaining that I am human and that I love, and want the same things everyone else does. No one should have to do that. I am tired of people being content to make me less then they are to make themselves comfy in their narrow views. BEEN THERE DONE THAT!

I am willing to take change step by step. I know it takes time. Times up! There is no excuse for such a lack of common sense. Maybe I am so angry because on the very night I finally felt I was home, I was made to feel like an alien. I don't care what people think or what pastor narrow minded says, I am an American citizen and I legally deserve my civil rights. How black folks in particular don't get this is mind blowing. Californians and Chicagoans took it to the streets. Here we go again.

Will I be 100 years old answering, did you ever think you would see this in your lifetime?