This past Wednesday, my morning started with a text that said, "One day we'll each be able to get married and you'll be the greatest husband ever."
As I turned on the news to see the positive results from Kalamazoo and disappointing outcome in Maine, I frustratingly laughed. Standing in the living, watching the news on digital cable, holding an iPhone in my hand as it played digital music to help shake away the sleepiness, I re-read that message from my best friend that reminded me of my denied rights, my inequal status. All the technological progress and results of modern society surrounded me, yet the note and the news echoed a message of fighting for human rights -- struggles similar to history book examples from 1776 and other past eras!
Before Wednesday, I was preparing a post on two issues around these concepts outside of United States that personally touched me. My good friend, Andrew Marin, posted on his blog about the pending bill in Uganda right now that allows the government to imprison or go as far as legally killing gays and lesbians for simply being who they are. There is a link on Andrew's post with more information and direct verbiage from the bill. I was comforted to see a growing online Facebook advocacy cry, but that is far from the amount of communications that must happen around this.
Shortly thereafter, I was having drinks with a graduate student originally from South America in Boystown. While talking about the Ugandan issue and others, he shared with me his inability to be "out," even here in America. Why? Because he plans to return home to work where corporate and familial atmospheres admonish -- and even ignore -- out gay and lesbian employees and family members. His words of struggle in being himself while protecting his image and family, manifested in action as we left. He showed concern with a simple display of affection while walking the sidewalks of Boystown and left me fully aware of how little I understand about being gay in a world outside of the U.S.
I originally started this post talking about the oppression faced by our neighbors overseas and the cry for us to be their voices daily. We must shatter the mindsets and rules that are figuratively and potentially literally killing men and women who positively contribute daily to our global community. But standing in my living room Wednesday morning, I realized our voice and communications must be two-fold and never ceasing. For even in this great country of rights, freedoms, equality and beliefs, there is still oppression, still rules or decisions that hurt lives.
I can't stop being out front, with my words, my actions, my life. Because I don't want some young adult years from now (possibly a family member or even my son), surrounded by technology and innovation yet imagineable, to be told that one day he may be able to marry the person he loves...as the person he is.
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