Honoring a Lesbian Rights Activist…
On Wednesday we learned of the passing of Del Martin- as an out lesbian I took a moment this morning and said a little word of thanks to her and her partner of 55 years Phyllis Lyon for paving the way for all of us in the LGBT community.
In 1953, homosexuality was illegal in most states and it was still many years before the Stonewall Riots would take place. …Imagine a world where being homosexual was against the law, raids on gay bars or gathering places were frequent and expected!
Being an out lesbian or gay man in your work place, with your friends or family was unheard of and very dangerous. This was the atmosphere when Del and Phyllis became activists for the lesbian community. The list of their accomplishments is so long and they made such a profound impact on everyday equality; they fought for rights that the LGBT community now enjoys and unfortunately sometimes takes for granted.
Imagine in 1956 being one of the eight founders of Daughters of Bilitis, America's first lesbian rights group… and in the 1960’s leading the way to have the American Psychiatric Association take homosexuality off its list of mental disorders. This amazing couple continued working on behalf of the community throughout the decades, being the first couple to be officially married in California not once but twice by Mayor Newsom.
So how can we pay tribute to such an incredible woman and to this incredible couple? We should never forget that we have many of the freedoms we enjoy today because they risked so much in a time when it would have been easier to sit back in the shadows and let someone else take the lead for equality. It’s now our turn to pave the way for the next generation within the LGBT community and continue to work for equal rights in marriage for all same-sex couples and live our lives as out and active members of the community. …To not just sit idly by and wait for others in the community to take the lead, to do our part big or small, to volunteer, to donate, to vote. It’s 2008, it’s time for all 19 million of us to stand up and say ‘Enough is enough!’ and that we demand equal rights in marriage and we will do the hard work necessary to make equality a reality.
One day I had hoped to meet these courageous women and to say thank you… So today I say Thank You to Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon! Thank you for never giving up on Equality and never giving up on us the generations that follow you and for believing that change can happen. Because of your hard work and determination today I live a life as an out and active lesbian with my wonderful partner and our beautiful daughter and we live in a world that was paved by your bravery and accomplishments!
Now it’s our turn…how will YOU Make a Difference?
Cindy Sproul co-owner
www.RainbowWeddingNetwork.com
Rainbow Wedding Network Magazine
Same Love, Same Rights Campaign
GO GREEN with RAINBOW WEDDING NETWORK MAGAZINE
Subscribe today to the Nation’s First-Ever Gay & Lesbian Wedding Magazine!
GO GREEN Special just $9.95 for one full year’s subscription and a $2.00 Donation will go to the Same Love, Same Rights Campaign!
Visit www.RainbowWeddingNetworkMagazine.com
In 1953, homosexuality was illegal in most states and it was still many years before the Stonewall Riots would take place. …Imagine a world where being homosexual was against the law, raids on gay bars or gathering places were frequent and expected!
Being an out lesbian or gay man in your work place, with your friends or family was unheard of and very dangerous. This was the atmosphere when Del and Phyllis became activists for the lesbian community. The list of their accomplishments is so long and they made such a profound impact on everyday equality; they fought for rights that the LGBT community now enjoys and unfortunately sometimes takes for granted.
Imagine in 1956 being one of the eight founders of Daughters of Bilitis, America's first lesbian rights group… and in the 1960’s leading the way to have the American Psychiatric Association take homosexuality off its list of mental disorders. This amazing couple continued working on behalf of the community throughout the decades, being the first couple to be officially married in California not once but twice by Mayor Newsom.
So how can we pay tribute to such an incredible woman and to this incredible couple? We should never forget that we have many of the freedoms we enjoy today because they risked so much in a time when it would have been easier to sit back in the shadows and let someone else take the lead for equality. It’s now our turn to pave the way for the next generation within the LGBT community and continue to work for equal rights in marriage for all same-sex couples and live our lives as out and active members of the community. …To not just sit idly by and wait for others in the community to take the lead, to do our part big or small, to volunteer, to donate, to vote. It’s 2008, it’s time for all 19 million of us to stand up and say ‘Enough is enough!’ and that we demand equal rights in marriage and we will do the hard work necessary to make equality a reality.
One day I had hoped to meet these courageous women and to say thank you… So today I say Thank You to Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon! Thank you for never giving up on Equality and never giving up on us the generations that follow you and for believing that change can happen. Because of your hard work and determination today I live a life as an out and active lesbian with my wonderful partner and our beautiful daughter and we live in a world that was paved by your bravery and accomplishments!
Now it’s our turn…how will YOU Make a Difference?
Cindy Sproul co-owner
www.RainbowWeddingNetwork.com
Rainbow Wedding Network Magazine
Same Love, Same Rights Campaign
GO GREEN with RAINBOW WEDDING NETWORK MAGAZINE
Subscribe today to the Nation’s First-Ever Gay & Lesbian Wedding Magazine!
GO GREEN Special just $9.95 for one full year’s subscription and a $2.00 Donation will go to the Same Love, Same Rights Campaign!
Visit www.RainbowWeddingNetworkMagazine.com
posted by Marianne Puechl | 3:21 PM
1 Comments:
e need to accept “marriages” for what they are, nothing more and nothing less:
Civil marriage = (secular, paper marriage and divorce)
Spiritual marriage = (religious, paper marriage and divorce)
Physical marriage = (natural children, no paper and inseparable)
Hmmm.
Jane B./Writer of Adam4Adam
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