44 Years From Stonewall

A  L  O  H  A !

Back in the day,

 there was no rainbow flag,

 no signs, no hoopla. 

Gay bars were hidden away from view,

dingy dives (often) operated by criminals

 and regularly raided by the vice squad.

Patrons were arrested, roughed up,

 had their names and sometimes faces,

 published in the local papers.

Then they lost their jobs,

 family support, apartments.

The only place the GLBT people could gather 

and be themselves

 in lives that consisted of prudent hiding

of  the most fundamental personal things,

was the bar.

Being gay was a crime,

 a sin, a moral weakness.

44 years ago this month

 the Stonewall Inn,

a gay bar in New York City 

was raided around 3am.

This time, the patrons had enough! 

Office workers,

shopkeepers, and drag queens

 in full regalia 

battled the cops

for several days.

Yesterday, the US Supreme Court 

declared that

if you are a gay couple, 

legally married by the laws

of the US State you live in,

then the federal government

 will NO LONGER

discriminate against you.

Social Security benefits, survivorship,

 federal taxes,

military benefits,

all will acknowledge

 same sex couples

along with opposite sex couples.

I was 16, and 90 miles away

 when Stonewall happened.

I marched in the first

Gay Liberation March

in Philadelphia

in the early 70's.

Today, I rallied 

with about a 1000 Hawaii friends

at the state capitol,

to celebrate this day. 

The fight for marriage equality

 is not over

in Hawaii, 

or perhaps your state or province.

But determined people,

despised, powerless, abused,

discriminated against,

summarily fired,

beaten and killed,

called mentally ill,

can change all that.

I played a part,

I've seen it happen.

So speak up for what you believe.

I helped to change the world,

You do too, every day.

Make it count!

YOU can read more about 

Stonewall  HERE

 > < } } (°>

' Take Peace & Smiles - Leave Your Comment '

Thanks for visiting!

                       Warmly, cloudia