It is our duty to come out. Not because we're proud that we're gay: rather, itz because we aren't ashamed of it. And we arent buying the bullsh*t of the people who say that we should be.
We, who are old enough to know, remember the days when a teacher who was gay could not teach, a government employee who was gay couldn't be a government employee, a gay sailor couldn't be a sailor.
Those of us who are old enough remember the days when gay-bashing was an acceptable form of entertainment for guys who wanted to prove they were tough, and finding out that someone who was the same gender as you had a crush on you -- or you thought they looked at you funny -- was defense for murder.
It wasnt that long ago that an arson fire at a gay nightclub was cause for jokes on the radio for days and days. It was less long ago when a plague took out a generation of our brothers -- again to jokes from various and sundry. And, itz not like our clubs have been immune from mass murders, or our brothers and sisters are safe walking down the street, even now.
Now Republicans want to explore the genitals of anyone suspected of being trans who wants to play sports. Who gets to suspect? Is there any recourse? Or, is it "drop trou" if one of the kids thinks you're too butch? And how often do they get to do it? Once a semester? Once a week? Once a game? Once an inning?
We, who are old enough, stood up and refused to accept the shame heaped on us. By our families. By our classmates. By our coworkers. By our peers.
But the price we paid wasnt some kind of trifle you can just throw away because things are better now.
Anthony Kennedy is off the Court. Ruth Bader Ginsburg is dead.
Your rights arent safe.
You're gonna need to take a stand, just like we did.
Cuz, if you're not fighting for your rights, someone else is gonna be fighting against them.
And the first step is to be uncomfortable for a minute and tell everyone you know that you're queer, and that you should be treated with the same dignity and respect that you were the second before they knew it. That your relationship is every bit as valid as theirs. That you should be free to marry the person you love.
June isnt Pride Month cuz we're proud of who we f*ck; itz Pride Month cuz we're proud of who we ARE.
And we're not going back into those closets.