A Gay Reality: Boston Pride 2009

The Boston Observer attends the Dyke March and the Gay Pride Parade.

Last week, the same week of Boston’s Pride, President Obama’s Justice Deparment wrote in support of the Defense of Marriage Act. This means Obama believes that if a person marries in Massachusetts and moves to Ohio, their marriage is null and void because Ohio does not have Gay Marriage. This is problematic for all of the obvious reasons; however, it also contradicts the position he took during his candidacy.

Yes, some of us should be able to be very happy, gay and complacent… But, for most of us complacency is a curse and the fight still continues. If there are people in this country who are denied certain rights because of where they live: then in a sense these rights do not exist. This is especially true in regards to the Gay Community. If a homosexual couple needs to move to a northern state in order to legalize their love, it is shared inequality. If a homosexual couple need to move away from their friends and family in order for their own family to be legally recognized, it is shared inequality. If a homosexual married couple cannot accept a position in another state because his or her partner may lose spousal benefits, it is shared inequality. Or as Martin Luther King, Junior said “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” As a country we have fostered and survived on the belief that if a nation denies certain freedoms we continue to push for these freedoms, no questions asked. During the Civil Rights Movement, did African Americans say, “OK well, I guess we will have to accept that we will never be able to ride on the front of the bus in Alabama?” During the Women’s Rights Movement, did they say, “OK, we’ll only vote in the most populous cities?”

Small battles have been victorious. Thank you: Iowa, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Maine. These victories show that the cause is gaining momentum, but these victories have also shown us that we do not live in the United States of America but the “Until all States of America.”

What do I mean by this?

- Until all States of America recognize that homosexuals can serve in the military without shame or fear.

- Until all States of America recognize that families with two women or two men are legally recognized.

- Until all States of America can recognize that homosexuals can love as deeply, truly and passionately as heterosexuals.

Until we can stop saying “until” we still have work to accomplish, rights to fight for, and steps to be taken in order to truly reflect a “United State” a true “land of the free.”

Massachusetts, we have a lot to be thankful for, happy for, even prideful for; however, let us not be blindsided by the success of our state or the state of our neighbors. There are people, fellow countrymen, who at this very moment are struggling through discrimination, and blatant injustice. Not too long ago I remember Massachusetts belonged to this group, but now that we have fought and won our piece it is time to help fight and win for the peace of others.
This article can also be found on: http://www.directoryofboston.com/blog/

I was driving in the car and I saw two people that were best friends of mine in grade school. One of them saw me and immediately turned her head. We didn’t end our friendship on a bad note, it just faded away… so why is it that often when I see people from that era of time we pass by without acknowledgement. Is it because we are afraid that we will be confronted by why we stopped talking to each other? These people I once shared everything with became engraved into the past, as if to acknowledge them today would be to acknowledge that anything had existed in the first place. There is something strange about that to me. Today, I was just as guilty as she was because I chose not to acknowledge her either, and I could have. The reason, right or wrong, is that I think that we should let those times live forever in the past. There, I can remember them when I want and remember them fondly for what they were. I have never identified with people who look very unfavorably on times that were good because feelings had grown bad between those who they were with. Isn’t that all a part of growing up—growing apart—growing closer—finding those who are the right fit at the right time—some of those who last forever and some who last for a summer.
Those that you can always count to be in it forever, generally speaking, is your family. Last night I went out to dinner with my brother and my great aunt Angela who is officially 99 years old—even though my family thinks she is 100—she is definitely 99. She has endured 99 years of life, isn’t that remarkable? Through the Great Depression, through heartbreaks, death, smoking and stopping, a heart attack, a broken hip, and she still lives on… she drives to the store, she cleans the apartment she has been living in for the past 50 years, she lectures, prays, she laughs and she loves. We were on our way out to get this fish fry that she had been talking about since I arrived back in town last week. As we were heading out, I got her coat out of the closet and made sure she buttoned her top button. It wasn’t that long ago, when she would button the top button on my jacket before taking us out on a Saturday adventure. I remember she used to drive me to pick up my best friends and take us to the mall, and she was the sole supplier of my beanie baby collection. Anyways, as I was buttoning her top button it got me thinking about family, and time and age. Angela, who has seen so much, still is able to love and laugh; nothing warms my heart more. One of the things I miss most about being away for school is not being able to make her feel less lonely. Going out to dinner with her on a Friday night was more fulfilling than anything that I could have been doing.
I own this game called, Loaded Questions. In it you are asked questions and each player except for the one who is asking the question, writes down a response. One time the question was, “What do you hope your last words will be?” A friend of mine had written down, “I love you too.”
 
Quote:
We all take different paths in life. But no matter where we go, we take a little of each other everywhere