Can we Expect a Future that Places a LGBT Member in the White House?

The wake-up call for the gay and lesbian community arrived on November 4 in California. Complacent gays and lesbians perhaps reacted with surprise at the voter’s decision to overturn the right for gays to marry with the passage of Proposition 8. Finger pointing and blame ensued after this decision and hopefully a lesson learned.

For some, the voter’s decision came as no surprise – not because we agreed with the decision but because some of us have fought the discrimination of gays and lesbians only to find that laws in place are largely not enforced. I for one reached out to various organizations for assistance in a personal case of sexual orientation discrimination, voicing my concerns over the lack of enforcement only to find deaf ears populating the so-called groups here to provide support.

With defeat sometimes comes the infusion to move forward, change paths, re-organize and gain strength. In the case of Proposition 8, the LGBT community responded accordingly with a show of support through demonstrations directed at those who provided financial support to pass the measure has certainly raised awareness. As a result, many attitudes changed and more acceptance was achieved.

In the wake of excitement over our new president, my mother said to me that she hopes she lives long enough to see a gay president. My response? Amen to that!

What we have learned in our community about opposition to being accepted and provided with the same rights as others is that it is largely religious based. Although there are religious groups, such as the Metropolitan Community Church and select other Christian churches who open their doors to our community and some religions, such as Buddhism, where it matters to no one your sexual orientation, education must continue to be targeted to religious groups.

My mom, who is not a fan of organized religion, tells me her local chapter of PFLAG is going out to these communities to do just that – educate. It’s going to be a long haul to get from equal rights to the presidency, but we have to look back at history and acknowledge how far we have come.

Leaders, such as John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King carved a path for civil rights more than 40 years ago. These leaders not only had superior qualities in communicating but in action. They also each brought their faith into the fight.

Although it may not be possible to educate those groups who do not accept human evolution even though science has proven over and over again that homosexuality is genetic based and not a chosen lifestyle, there will be those whose attitudes will change just like others have in the past.

We must look back at history to see the slowly changing acceptance one instance at a time. The movie “Milk” can provide a great historical overview of changing times and attitudes towards the LGBT community. Harvey Milk was relentless with his charge that rallied the masses to fight discrimination. Many would have said his fight was useless until they witnessed the change he inspired and brought forth. Rights we are entitled to today are a direct reflection of Harvey Milk’s leadership and many others who followed. We can acknowledge each step to equality but we must not accept that where we are now is enough, otherwise change will not ensue.

A few years into the AIDS crisis a friend of mine died from the disease. Although he was raised in the Christian faith, finding a church that would allow us to hold a service for him became a huge challenge. At that time AIDS had been characterized as the “gay plague” and some referred to it as God’s retribution for an “unacceptable” lifestyle. It seemed to have made little difference to churches that this man was also a son, a brother, an uncle and above all a human being.

Luckily, we found a Presbyterian Church that welcomed us. The minister began the funeral service with a story. He told the story of a European village where its inhabitants had suffered a terrible plague. It was a largely Catholic village where a non-Catholic nurse cared for the sick villagers. Eventually the nurse contracted and succumbed to the sickness herself, sacrificing her own life to care for others.

Because she was not Catholic, her body was buried outside the fence to the cemetery where many of those she cared for were laid to rest. The next morning, villagers passing the cemetery noticed that during the night someone had moved the fence to include the nurse’s grave.

History has taught us that attitudes can change and people become more accepting of others who are different. I find great solace in knowing that the younger generation finds the issue of gay marriage a non-issue and can’t understand why anyone would find the love between two consenting adults threatening to anyone else.

Maybe it will be this younger generation, who were instrumental in getting Barack Obama into the White House, who will help us get closer to our equality goals. However, if we expect to see a gay president someday we will, as a country, have to keep moving the fence.