The "But" in the Marriage Rights Victory
As I rejoiced and happy-danced this morning in the wake of the SCOTUS decision on marriage rights, I was also sadly aware that we have not yet won the battle, not by any stretch of the imagination. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and non-binary people in the United States, especially young people and people of color, still face life and death issues unfairly imposed on them by law, by heteronormative culture, and by us, when we fail to try to change the way things still stand. This is a brief, but pretty clear reminder.
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As I rejoiced and happy-danced this morning in the wake of the SCOTUS decision on marriage rights, I was also sadly aware that we have not yet won the battle, not by any stretch of the imagination. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and non-binary people in the United States, especially young people and people of color, still face life and death issues unfairly imposed on them by law, by heteronormative culture, and by us, when we fail to try to change the way things still stand. This is a brief, but pretty clear reminder.
This entry was originally posted at http://kaffyr.dreamwidth.org/367011.html?mode=reply, where there are currently
- Current Location:the home office
- Current Mood:determined
Comments
Edited at 2015-06-27 02:23 am (UTC)
No, getting rid of the "Confederate" flag doesn't perfect the world, but getting more of the world to say, "This is not OK," is an important advance.
No, freedom to marry does leave all sorts of ugly, damaging discrimination in place. But it's a major legal advance AND confirmation of the massive, ongoing social/attitude changes which have been achieved.
Go back to the struggle tomorrow. Celebrate today.
In the words of Teh Intarwebz ... wat.
Talking about, and continuing to take action on, the pressing need to prevent the deaths by suicide and murder of trans people and LBGTQ teens is not, I repeat not, the whining of an entitled person upset that they didn't get their present.
Reminding folks that talking about, and continuing to take action on, homelessness, job inequality, or other civil rights and human rights issues, is still necessary, does not equate to raining on this joyous event. It's a reminder, pure and simple. It's not going to interrupt the joy in the least. See my responses to others upthread.
Also, "Go back to the struggle tomorrow. Celebrate today." is exactly what I said two posts back, so, believe it or not, I, too, believe that this is a transcendent victory.
I'm a little tired of "How can this count when it's not Final Victory?"
I'm a little tired of "How can this count when it's not Final Victory?"
Oh, aye! That kind of response is downright Calvinist at base, because it's really saying "I'm afraid that joy will cause bad luck. We can't dance now, or tomorrow, or ever, unless total victory is achieved."
They forget that wars are eventually won through battles that result in joy.
*HUGS*
*hugs back*