Wednesday, June, 2, 2010 12:20pm
If this year has shown me anything, it’s that we have incredible allies. People everywhere are going to the mat for LGBTQ people and our rights—in one notable case quite literally. They have no age restrictions—some are children, some are retired; they come from all walks of life; they have different religious beliefs—some of them don’t have any at all. We as a community have been so fortunate to have such committed and vocal allies.
Most recently, Kristin Chenoweth came forward twice in our defense. The first time she spoke in support of equality and talked about how she believed her god doesn’t make mistakes and it cost her a spot on the “Women in Faith” tour. In addition, she spoke up in defense of her co-star in Promises, Promises, the very Sean Hayes himself, when he was singled out in the infamous Newsweek article (the one that said gay actors can’t play straight characters convincingly).
While, Kristin made headlines because of the magnitude of her stardom, there are even more remarkable stories. Hudson Taylor, a heterosexual wrestler at the University of Maryland, wore an HRC sticker on his headgear during his matches as a symbol of commitment to LGBQ rights. Taylor contributes to HRC every month and abhors the use of homosexual slurs to assert masculinity, which is unfortunately common in athletic competition. This was something that Baltimore Raven’s linebacker, Brendon Ayanbadejo, experienced when he came out in favor of gay marriage—he titled his piece about the issue “Same-Sex Marriages: What’s the Big Deal?”.
In Arkansas, a ten-year-old named Will Phillips refused to pledge allegiance to this country because it didn’t grant equal rights for LGBT citizens. He knew attributes his decision to the fact that he’s growing up around so many good people (gay and straight) and doesn’t see why everyone isn’t treated the same.
In the media, we have Keith Olbermann, Joy Behar, and John Stewart, all of whom are straight. These people have the attention of many and use it speak about the issue that they think are important and in most cases just plain right. Be it their defense of same-sex marriage, questioning the logic behind not defending students from bullying despite their perceived orientation, ensuring that those, who target us are brought to adequate justice, or simply allowing us to exist safely out in the open.
While all of these stories are touching, I would be remiss not to mention Admiral Mike Mullen of the United States Navy and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who has repeatedly called the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell “the right thing”. Admiral Mullen’s support is invaluable to our cause both because he identifies as a straight male, and because he is a man of such rank and distinguished service.
In honor of our excellent allies in the public light –and there are so many more that I invite you to name in any comments you may leave on this post—I would like to personally thank some of the excellent allies in my life. Thank you, Amber Lee, Veronica Severn, Buffy Ruffin, Jamie Revill, and Jackie Oleszewski.
Always remember that these battles for recognition are won with the help of the outsiders, who care enough to fight for you. So, remember to thank your allies this Pride Month—after all, it was allies, who chose to recognize the month in the first place.
If this year has shown me anything, it’s that we have incredible allies. People everywhere are going to the mat for LGBTQ people and our rights—in one notable case quite literally. They have no age restrictions—some are children, some are retired; they come from all walks of life; they have different religious beliefs—some of them don’t have any at all. We as a community have been so fortunate to have such committed and vocal allies.
Most recently, Kristin Chenoweth came forward twice in our defense. The first time she spoke in support of equality and talked about how she believed her god doesn’t make mistakes and it cost her a spot on the “Women in Faith” tour. In addition, she spoke up in defense of her co-star in Promises, Promises, the very Sean Hayes himself, when he was singled out in the infamous Newsweek article (the one that said gay actors can’t play straight characters convincingly).
While, Kristin made headlines because of the magnitude of her stardom, there are even more remarkable stories. Hudson Taylor, a heterosexual wrestler at the University of Maryland, wore an HRC sticker on his headgear during his matches as a symbol of commitment to LGBQ rights. Taylor contributes to HRC every month and abhors the use of homosexual slurs to assert masculinity, which is unfortunately common in athletic competition. This was something that Baltimore Raven’s linebacker, Brendon Ayanbadejo, experienced when he came out in favor of gay marriage—he titled his piece about the issue “Same-Sex Marriages: What’s the Big Deal?”.
In Arkansas, a ten-year-old named Will Phillips refused to pledge allegiance to this country because it didn’t grant equal rights for LGBT citizens. He knew attributes his decision to the fact that he’s growing up around so many good people (gay and straight) and doesn’t see why everyone isn’t treated the same.
In the media, we have Keith Olbermann, Joy Behar, and John Stewart, all of whom are straight. These people have the attention of many and use it speak about the issue that they think are important and in most cases just plain right. Be it their defense of same-sex marriage, questioning the logic behind not defending students from bullying despite their perceived orientation, ensuring that those, who target us are brought to adequate justice, or simply allowing us to exist safely out in the open.
While all of these stories are touching, I would be remiss not to mention Admiral Mike Mullen of the United States Navy and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who has repeatedly called the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell “the right thing”. Admiral Mullen’s support is invaluable to our cause both because he identifies as a straight male, and because he is a man of such rank and distinguished service.
In honor of our excellent allies in the public light –and there are so many more that I invite you to name in any comments you may leave on this post—I would like to personally thank some of the excellent allies in my life. Thank you, Amber Lee, Veronica Severn, Buffy Ruffin, Jamie Revill, and Jackie Oleszewski.
Always remember that these battles for recognition are won with the help of the outsiders, who care enough to fight for you. So, remember to thank your allies this Pride Month—after all, it was allies, who chose to recognize the month in the first place.
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