My Thoughts on the Gay Rights Movement

After having read many pro and con commentary sent to my local newspaper about the county's recent decision against gay pride, I think I've come to realize that there are many out there, myself included until recently, that may not understand the origins of the movement. For many, it started with the Stonewall riots of 1969. Up until then, may in New York knew about the police raiding local gay hangouts and arrresting many on flimsy charges. Well, when they went to do the same at the Stonewall club, the patrons fought back.

It's more involved than just that, but, then again, so was the modern civil rights movement more than Rosa Parks and/or Brown Vs. Board of Education, but for many, they were the impetus that started others to realize the importance of what was going on. So with Stonewall. I know there are many people that get offended when people compare the gay rights movement to the civil rights one, but even my educated mind can see similarities. I mean, as far as I know, growing up in mostly black Prince Georges' County, Maryland, many of my black friends would tell me that black history was about celebrating people realizing that government could no longer say that just because they didn't have the "right" skin color was no excuse for lesser service. Same goes for the gay rights movement in my mind. These people, with their pride parades and pamphlets and books and such, simply want the public to know that the government cannot even say that just because they didn't have the "right" sexual orientation was no excuse for lesser service. I have never seen or read of any gay or lesbian trying to tell others that they have to be lovers, only that they have to accept gasy as human beings too, much like in the 60s, when blacks told others that they didn'thave to be lovers, but that they have to accept that, no matter the color of your skin, we're all humans and all deserve the same rights and priviledges.

So, to all those who wrote into the paper saying that the county was right in not allowing "these people" to shove their ideas and their morality down their throats, hey- ya'll ever remember that part of our Constitution that talks about freedom of speech? Last time I checked, if you have the right to believe in your moral code being right and telling others about it means that, by the same coin, others with different moral codes have the same right to tell others about it. There is a significant difference in allowing people to hear all the sides of a story and allow themselves to make up their own minds, and presumptuous people telling others that their's is the right way, and there's no other right way but that. I've seen it many of times with both the liberals AND the religious right. It's called freedom of choice- so give us the motherfucking choice already!