Forty years ago this June, the Stonewall Riots happened in New York City. Police raided a bar in New York City’s Greenwich Village named the Stonewall Inn. Homosexual gathering place raids were common in the 1950′s and 1960′s and persecution of homosexuals were a fact of the times.
This raid had unexpected results. Instead of just accepting the abuse by the police, the patrons of the bar and many others fought back. The Stonewall Riots are recognized as the first time gay people fought back as a group against their persecution. Eventually about 2000 people were outside the little bar. Shouting at the police soon turned into throwing things at the police.
On June 27, 1969 people were arrested and were injured, some severely. There was a repeat the next night, with a larger crowd gathering outside of the Stonewall Inn. The police eventually had to send in a riot squad to control the crowd. The modern day Gay Rights movement began with the Stonewall Riots.
We LGBT people have come a long way in gaining equal rights and acceptance since those nights in June of 1969. Becoming accepted by society has not been an easy journey. Showing that we are just like everybody else, but our efforts have paid off.
We are now represented, mostly positively, on TV shows and in movies. We have almost come to expect there to be at least one gay character in a new TV show or in a movie. Domestic partners are now recognized at many companies and cities. At the state level, domestic partners, civil unions and even marriage has been legalized. Advertisers now direct marketing directly to the LGBT community, especially for gay vacation packages.
Yet, our work for acceptance still goes on. Homophobia still exists in the United States and in countries the entire world over. Gay teenagers still kill themselves and gay hate crimes are even on the rise. We still have ignorance and hatred to overcome.
However, in our efforts to be accepted and to show the world “that we’re just like everybody else”, let’s not lose sight of the fact that we are different than roughly 90% of the people around us. Our Creator made us different, and in doing so gave us gifts and talents that the world is in need of; let us not forget to celebrate the uniqueness of these gifts and talents.
Being gay, we walk between the worlds of typical male or female gender roles. We are more keenly aware of both our masculine and feminine attributes. This awareness allows us to more easily see, and be open to, many aspects of life that others cannot see. Thus, many of us are known as being unifiers; people with the ability to bridge gaps between others and heal relationships of all kinds. Walking between worlds can also make us more receptive to the “unseen” things in life and we become healers and shamans.
We are known to be intensely creative and many of us are involved in the arts. We are musicians, dancers, poets, singers, teachers, painters, song writers, actors, and yes, hair stylists and fashion designers! We are also world class athletes and Nobel Prize scientists. There seems to be an innate need in us to “give back”, to help others and in general make the world a better place for everyone.
Marianne Williamson wrote the following words. Although not directly addressed to the gay community, it reveals the experience gay people have of hiding themselves and their gifts from the world:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
So, let us acknowledge and celebrate our differences. Every person on this earth is different; there are no two of us that are exactly alike. All people, gay and straight, and no matter what skin color or religious beliefs, have been given talents and gifts unique to them. Let us all shine together.
