(no subject)

[primroseburrows]

Sorry for even more spam, but I had to share this:

"I still hear people say that I should not be talking about the rights of lesbian and gay people and I should stick to the issue of racial justice. But I hasten to remind them that Martin Luther King Jr. said, 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.' I appeal to everyone who believes in Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream to make room at the table of brother- and sisterhood for lesbian and gay people."

---Corretta Scott King, speaking in 1998.

Exerpt lifted from this post in gay_marriage. There are a lot of interesting links here. Go read!

I'd also like input on what people think about the GLBT civil rights movement vs the (still ongoing) civil rights movement of people of colour. I agree with this poster. I think there are a lot of similarities.

Comments

[patchfire.livejournal.com]

Well, you know how I feel about it, darling. :) But I'll ramble on anyway.

I think there are enormous similiarities when any group is fighting injustice to other groups that have done the same. There may be differences in the details, yes, but the essential thrust and underlying motivations are nearly the same, if not exactly so.

MLK Jr., writing in 1963, said "For hundreds of years the quiet sobbing of an oppressed people had been unheard by millions of white Americans - the bitterness of the Negroes' lives remote and unfelt except for a sensitive few. Suddenly last summer the silence was broken. The lament became a shout and then a roar and for month no American, white or Negro, was insulated or unaware. The stride toward freedom lengthened and accelerated into a gallop, while the whole nation looked on." This was in reference to the summer of 1963, written in late 1963/early 1964 and published in Why We Can't Wait. And isn't that the best title? Why We Can't Wait. Because asking any group to wait until someone is 'comfortable' with whatever the group is entitled to - in some ways, it's worse than opposing them altogether. Anyway, the quote. I think that if certain details were changed, it's very appropos for what's happening now.

The most hopeful thing, though, about now, that I think parallels, in some respects, the civil rights movement, is that your Average Joe Schmoe on the streets is becoming desensitized. They see all these gays and lesbians getting married and they're starting to be like "oh, another gay wedding. next channel." But the weddings had to happen before they would get there. There were still segrationists in the south after Brown v. Board of Education, and even 15 years later. But some racists were desensitized, and they kept their mouth shut after awhile. Were they still wrong? Sure. Were they hurting anyone but themselves with their thoughts? No.

I want to write emails to my state representatives, reminding them that gay marriage is coming, and twenty or thirty years from now, their children or grandchildren will ask them where they stood, and won't they be embarassed to admit that they were wrong?

Re:

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

Oh, it's coming, all right. I'm really doubting that there'll be a Federal Marriage Amendment; It's very, very hard to change the US Constitution.

I'm really encouraged to hear Mrs. King speak out; I wonder what Rosa thinks. She's what, ninetysomething? *g*