Nothing is more central to healthy interpersonal relationships than the knowledge that we are safe to be who and what we are, a human experience often denied to gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender (GLBT) individuals. But change is happening and we are all witness to it. The “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy of the American military is repealed. Ellen DeGeneres is out - and outstanding - on her daytime talk show. Kurt on Glee and Modern Family’s Mitch/Cam gay couple with daughter Lily are among the most popular characters on network television. Conservative attorney Ted Olson – who was conservative George W. Bush’s Solicitor General – argued for gay marriage in front of the California Supreme Court last year in a case he said could “change the way people think about one another. We are forever putting people into this box or that box, instead of just seeing each other as human beings."
But change triggers conflict, especially when it upends deeply-ingrained assumptions and challenges a social order that associates heterosexual behavior with God-given moral certitude. Along with the distinct uptick in the GLBT community’s mainstream visibility and validation is an uptick in hate crimes against gays. Bullying of gay teens remains a substantial threat to their physical safety and mental health. In response to gays being allowed to serve openly in the military, some soldiers have requested they be allowed to “opt-out” of their military commitment. But when the policy-makers deinstitutionalize bigotry, change is unstoppable. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates’ pointed smackdown to the soldiers’ request suggests that Martin Luther King was right when he said “the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.”
June is National Gay Pride month and events all over the country will celebrate the contributions, honor the rights, and highlight the stories our GLBT citizens. "LGBT Americans have enriched and strengthened the fabric of our national life," writes President Obama on the White House website. "From business leaders and professors to athletes and first responders, LGBT individuals have achieved success and prominence in every discipline. They are our mothers and fathers, our sons and daughters, and our friends and neighbors. Across my Administration, openly LGBT employees are serving at every level. Thanks to those who came before us — the brave men and women who marched, stood up to injustice, and brought change through acts of compassion or defiance — we have made enormous progress and continue to strive for a more perfect union"
Gay Pride month is an opportunity to express in action the Golden Rule of interpersonal Relationships, best stated on the website It Gets Better: “Everyone deserves to be respected for who they are. I pledge to spread this message to my friends, family and neighbors. I'll speak up against hate and intolerance whenever I see it, at school and at work. I'll provide hope for lesbian, gay, bi, trans and other bullied teens by letting them know that "It Gets Better.”
Links to Long Island Gay Pride events: Long Island Pride Parade June 12, 2011
The Long Island GLBT Prom Sponsored by North Shore LIJ Hospital
- Thursday, June 16th, 2011
- The Historical Thatched Cottage
- 445 East Main Street, Centerport, NY
Women’s Pride In The Pines Dance
- Sat. June 18, 2011
- 3-6 p.m. at Pines Fire Island
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