Today was Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It is a National Holiday in which people are given time to reflect on the works of one of the greatest Civil Rights leaders this nation has ever seen.Across the country, communities held MLK Day of Service events, designed to give back to the community and make someone's day a little brighter. It was during my attendance at one such event here at Ohio State that I realized what is wrong the gay rights movement in the United States today.
We need a Martin Luther King.
The gay rights movement does not have a visionary leader to lead us in our greatest triump: equal rights for all. We have Harvey Milk, who is an icon in gay culture, being the first elected openly gay man. He had a visionary dream. Much like Dr. King himself, Harvey was gunned down by an assassans bullet. However, the LGBT community is not rallying around Harvey Milk. They are not using him as a reason to march in the streets all the way to Washington D.C. We simply revere his memory and pine for another like him (No, mass media, Perez Hilton is not that person).
So, who is leading the charge for gay rights? I'd like to tell you that some of our gay rights groups are, but I'd be lying. These groups, for the most part, have turned in to muddled bureaucracies that can't even construct a clear message on the smallest of issues, let alone the largest issues that loom over our community like a mountain.
Why are we not marching in the streets? Why aren't we fighting back against all of those who oppress us? Sure, we gathered in DC and shouted a little. But there weren't nearly enough of us, mainly because it fell into the hands of those rights groups. Their attempts to "organize" the event ended up being the straw that broke the camel's back and ultimately defeated this march. The media barely paid it any mind.
The time is here for us to take action! There is a court case in California's Fedearl Court that could determine gay rights in this country once and for all. No matter the outcome for us, this case will head to the US Supreme Court. This could either make or break us. Lose, and we suffer a set back of twenty years or more worth of progress. If we win, equality will finally be had, at least on paper.
Those are huge stakes for a community that has been fighting for rights for many, many years. So again I ask: Where is our Martin Luther King who will lead us in this fight and inspire us all to unite as one?
I hope we find that person soon...
Very true.
ReplyDeleteI think the reason this hasnt happened yet is the same as the reason so many of the organizations are so lackluster. The AIDS epidemic decimated a generation of activists. Basically, the people who should have been the renowned leaders (or even statesman) were lost to that terrible disease.