Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Wedding bands, not wedding bans

Yesterday was a big day for not only the LGBT community but as a nation. With recent advances nationwide in gay marriage legislation, we were all hoping for the best in California with the decision to uphold or overturn Prop 8. Sadly, the Senate voted against equal rights.

While sitting at my desk working on homework, I read through my Twitter feed. The responses from everyone were amazing. Not only were people in San Francisco speaking out, but people from all across the country shared their disappointment with the decision.

Through Twitter, I was able to follow what was going on in West Hollywood with the rally but also a protest that was happening in my hometown of Charleston, WV.

I am continually amazed by our country’s ability to organize. We have such a unique opportunity in that we have the freedom to petition, freedom of speech, and freedom to assemble. And hopefully by taking advantage of these rights, we will soon legalize gay marriage.

I don’t want to go on a tirade about my beliefs, but I challenge lawmakers, senators, governors, and the general populace to think strongly about the decisions you make regarding equal rights. Read a blog, a news story, or watch footage from the West Hollywood rally, but make sure you are 100% informed before you take away basic rights of Americans.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Everyone needs "Milk"

Last night I finally made the time to sit down and watch “Milk.” I was worried I would be disappointed because of all the hype, but I was amazed. Not only was the acting phenomenal, but the story was so inspiring. This movie is especially important when considering the incredible advancements in equal rights made in just the past few months.

I am so proud of the progress our country is making. There are now five states that allow gay marriage and several more look promising to pass legislation. This is such a great time for my generation because we actually feel that we CAN make a difference. The election of Barack Obama was a huge step, and now we are finding our voice and speaking out against all inequalities.

I’m the first to admit that change scares me, but not this kind. I hope we continue to push ourselves and our fellow Americans to take action, even in the smallest ways.

I’ll end with one of my favorite lines from the movie: “Because it's not about personal gain, not about ego, not about power... it's about the "us's" out there. Not only gays, but the Blacks, the Asians, the disabled, the seniors, the us's. Without hope, the us's give up - I know you cannot live on hope alone, but without it, life is not worth living. So you, and you, and you... You gotta give em' hope... you gotta give em' hope.”