Dear Reader,
As Pride month draws to a close, I am reminded of the extraordinary people who have put their lives and their futures on the line to try to secure—and maintain—equal civil rights for LGBTQ citizens. Without even thinking hard, and in no particular order, I remembered the Stonewall veterans, who said no to police harassment; the first openly-gay San Francisco Supervisor—and martyr—Harvey Milk; and Larry Kramer and the others who created ActUp at a time when the Reagan government had no intention to address the AIDS epidemic.
Let me mention James Obergefell, whose last name will forever grace the Supreme Court decision that mandated marriage equality in 2015. I want to thank Dan Savage for his decades of relentless journalism and advocacy. And especially, Ann Northrup and Andy Humm—both of whom I think of as friends—for shouldering the responsibility for bringing us the truth every week on Gay USA, since 1985.
As we plan our future strategies, let us also pause to reflect on the wondrous achievements so far. And let us be out-loud grateful for the many heroes—both ordinary and super—who labor to make the world safe for humanity in all its fascinating diversity.
Bruce
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