In this month of Gay Pride, we have seen real progress that all of us can celebrate.
State by state, the scales of discrimination against gay men and lesbians are falling away. In May, a federal judge struck down Oregon’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples, declaring the exclusion unconstitutional. On June 4, the U.S. Supreme Court shot down an attempt by the National Organization for Marriage, the leading proponents of the marriage discrimination policy, to prompt a stay against weddings in Oregon.
While these are major steps toward equality – arguably among the most significant in a generation – there remains a long journey ahead.
In this edition, we see where the personal battles continue to be fought on a national stage. Mia Macy had to first win the right to sue, forcing the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to recognize that, as a transgender woman, she was entitled to protection under the constitution just as any other American citizen. She then won her case to protect the rights of all people facing workplace discrimination because of their gender identity.
Court cases, legal decisions, actions and reactions: They are the foundation in all civil rights movements. Yet the goal is still in the making. Equality —whether in terms of gender, race or social class — will always be on the horizon as long as prejudice and ignorance are left unchecked in our neighborhoods. It will always be a struggle as long as the next generation is taught the same disconnect between “us” and “them,” regardless of who “they” may be. They may be queer, they may be poor, they may be brown, black or white. They may be us.
It’s true, the famous quote from Edmund Burke, that “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”
The people opposed to marriage equality are still fighting in the courts. They will likely never stop. But the story of our friends and neighbors, our family and the people we love, cannot be reduced to legal briefs and judicial decisions. Lawyers alone didn’t overturn decades of discrimination against gay and lesbian couples. The community — of every stripe — came together to not only demand equality, but also work tirelessly until it was achieved.
Only 19 states in the nation recognize gay marriage; fewer than half. We are a part of the foundation. Let’s build on it.
