This is why.

So a couple of weekends ago, I attended my local PRIDE celebration.

My fair city has a HUGE PRIDE weekend that has events running from Friday through Sunday. It is a lot of fun and has something for everyone, whether it's dancing to the hottest music, seeing a drag show, going on a cruise on the lake, watching the parade, or simply walking through the park.

I chose to walk through the park, stopping at various booths to look at the goods and to see who was there church wise and corporate/work wise.

It was a lot of fun. There were plenty of people out and about and while there were a couple of outfits that had me raising my eyebrows a bit, mostly, these folks who were enjoying the beautiful day looked like, well, like anyone you might find in the every day walk of life.

One of the tents I stopped at was for Human Rights (I Love their organization) and I asked for a sticker that they had (stickers were all over the place...I normally don't get any but this sticker, I wanted).

It had on it DADT and asked that it be repealed. Today. Not tomorrow. Not next year. NOW, damn it.

And I wanted that sticker because I whole heartedly support that decision.

This is the way I look at it. Don't Ask Don't Tell was an asinine decision in the first place. And furthermore, let's be blunt. These soldiers of our armed forces are willing to give their lives to defend liberty and justice. To uphold the defense of our country and come to aid for those in other countries who need us.

Willing to give up their lives.

That is more than enough validation for me and I don't see where their sexual orientation is part of it. If I'm lying in no man's land and my foxhole buddy is risking his/her life to drag me to safety...is my first thought going to be, "oh, I hope he isn't gay/she isn't a lesbian..??" I doubt it. If I'm bleeding from injuries and a medic comes to stop the bleeding and get me to a hospital, am I going to worry about that person's sexuality?

Please.

I find it embarrassing that some people are hung up over this.

So I asked for the sticker. I have it up where I can see it.

Yes, I am GLBT supportive in all things healthy. Most of the Community simply wants the same rights the rest of us take for granted. Stuff like wills and hospital visits and even marriage. Hey, even *gasp*, adopting children or having a child through a surrogate mother/invitro.

I understand that people are afraid. I understand that people are misinformed. When I've talked to some people who are virulently opposed to gay rights, they often don't even know any "real" gay people. They go by these tired old stereotypes that should have lost their juice a long, long time ago.

I've heard it said that gay rights is the last thing to be fought for. After all, we had the civil rights movement, we've had feminist rights, we've had minority rights....even immigrant rights.

I'd say that it's an ongoing process. There are always those few bad apples in the barrel who make it hard for the rest of us....but people need to remember that most of us, whoever we are, however we identify, just want a happy life. A life without fear or hate or disgust. A life where it doesn't matter what colour one's skin is. What sexual orientation one is. Whether they are a man or a woman. Or if they were born here or were naturalized.

Fear is understandable....but reach out. Get to know people that you are afraid of. Often times, you'll find that the very thing you feared was merely a shadow, a cipher of your mind.

There are plenty of good folks to reach back and help you over that fear, help you get to know them....so that in time, you would also add your voice to everyone else's.


Enough. Repeal DADT. Break down these other barriers.

Then we can definitely, proudly, say that our nation is "for all".



K.