My heart goes out to all the gay community members on Kos that have endured the loss of Proposition 8 and their continued fight for equal rights and their civil rights.
Only people that are gay, and that have struggled with the pain, the hurt, the hate, the disillusionment of often with their own families, closest friends and co-workers truly understand what it means to have to fight for the simple: Right to Love.
Something that most of us take for granted has been denied to loving human beings who are often subjected to humiliating circumstances, and not of their own making. I have heard and listened to your cries of feeling betrayed by President Elect Obama, but I do not believe that this was ever his intent. I do believe that Obama is working towards unity, just as Melissa Etheridge is towards Rick Warren. We come to meet at the middle of the road. We place our hands in each other's hands. We cross the great divide in short steps, but we cross it none the less. We must cross it with civility, hope, pride, dignity and inner resolve. It is time to lay the rage aside and to move forward to peace and healing.
Here is what Melissa had to say about her meeting recently with Rick Warren:
I told my manager to reach out to Pastor Warren and say "In the spirit of unity I would like to talk to him." They gave him my phone number. On the day of the conference I received a call from Pastor Rick, and before I could say anything, he told me what a fan he was. He had most of my albums from the very first one. What? This didn't sound like a gay hater, much less a preacher. He explained in very thoughtful words that as a Christian he believed in equal rights for everyone. He believed every loving relationship should have equal protection. He struggled with proposition 8 because he didn't want to see marriage redefined as anything other than between a man and a woman. He said he regretted his choice of words in his video message to his congregation about proposition 8 when he mentioned pedophiles and those who commit incest. He said that in no way, is that how he thought about gays. He invited me to his church, I invited him to my home to meet my wife and kids. He told me of his wife's struggle with breast cancer just a year before mine.
When we met later that night, he entered the room with open arms and an open heart. We agreed to build bridges to the future.
Brothers and sisters the choice is ours now. We have the world's attention. We have the capability to create change, awesome change in this world, but before we change minds we must change hearts. Sure, there are plenty of hateful people who will always hold on to their bigotry like a child to a blanket. But there are also good people out there, Christian and otherwise that are beginning to listen. They don't hate us, they fear change. Maybe in our anger, as we consider marches and boycotts, perhaps we can consider stretching out our hands. Maybe instead of marching on his church, we can show up en mass and volunteer for one of the many organizations affiliated with his church that work for HIV/AIDS causes all around the world.
Maybe if they get to know us, they wont fear us.
I know, call me a dreamer, but I feel a new era is upon us. I will be attending the inauguration with my family, and with hope in my heart. I know we are headed in the direction of marriage equality and equal protection for all families. Happy Holidays my friends and a Happy New Year to you. Peace on earth, goodwill toward all men and women... and everyone in-between.
My favorite sweetest brother was gay, and passed away of AIDS. He had more talent than the law should allow. He sang, danced, was a fabulous writer and could make me laugh until I peed my pants. I miss him every single day.
His favorite song is the song that I now dedicate to all the gay people that have been so hurt by both Proposition 8, and recent events.
Please, lay your burden down, lay your rage aside, move forward in knowing that you are are indeed supported on Kos by the majority of the people that come here and I think most of you know that. This is the season of peace. Let you hearts move in that direction.
Here is the song, it is entitled:
The Right To Love
My love and I ask little of the world
The right to sigh together in the rain
And walk with heads up in the sun
And share our joy and our pain
And yet they said that we were wrong
We hadn't the right to our love
That this love was shameful to see
And yet we treasured our love
And so we go our solitary way
Indifferent to the cold unfriendly stares
Indifferent to the whispered talk
We don't care at all
We have all we need
As long as we can be together
We find our consolation in each other's eyes
That sweet look of wonder
We know we have earned the right to love
We know that we have earned
that precious right to love
God bless you all. Better times are coming. The battle has not been lost, and will move forward to find a day soon where justice will prevail. Have faith and please above all, find some peace during these holidays to remember, that you are cared for and thought of in loving ways on Daily Kos.
Peace.