What's Up

   If you ask the average gay rights crusader (whatever that is)
what he or she is striving to achieve, that person would probably
say something like equal rights and protection under the law.
That sounds good to me. But, to what degree do we want to take
this? Are we looking to blend right into regular, every-day
society? Also, there is the issue of gay marriage that we have
never had to deal with before.

   I think we are very fortunate to live in this current time. We
need to think about all of the gay people who proceeded us and
their struggle toward fair and equal treatment. It was by their
suffering that we have come to enjoy the freedoms that we now
share as gays. But, we also need to consider what we will have
if, and when, we get what we say we want.

   Social turmoil is a bitch for those who are caught up in the
throws of it, but it is also a super motivating, magical force that
binds people together tighter than blood, and inspires exquisite
creativity in the arts. Look at what happened in the 60s and
early 70s with Viet Nam. This country was split, right down the
middle, and the counter cultural movement was responsible for
creating some of the greatest art, film, literature, and music
we've seen in centuries! And, the movement was echoed all
over the world. Similar things can be said about the struggle
toward African American rights and women's rights.

   Being gay is a matter of being in the last minority that is still
an acceptable target for societal abuse. Now, I'm not whining
about it. It's true. We are all, very much, in an "us-and-them"
kind of situation. It's a big part of our collective identity. We are
ultimately united by a common foe. If we come to a point of total
acceptance by straight society, I think we will lose something
very dear to us. The gay pride march on Washington D.C. in '93
was one of the most emotionally fulfilling events of my life. This
will never happen again if gays slip right into the main stream
--and we will, eventually. Take note, and enjoy the transition that
is taking place right now. We are in the latter stages of an age old
sociopolitical dispute, coming to an end, that will              ===>