Equality for More

Alex Morash 22th Aug

The Supreme Court’s ruling grants marriage equality. An amazing victory for the LGBT/Queer community. However, this victory expands equality more for some in the queer community than others. We cannot believe that this fight for our community is the end of the battle, and we need to address the needs of non-white and non-male members of our community.

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The LGBT/Queer community has come a long way since the days of the Mattachine Society insisting to the public we are not trying to have marriage equality. We have survived the ravages of AIDS and our own government’s decision to ignore the problem until it had become widespread. We evolved from the one dimensional stereotypes portrayed on Will and Grace, survived the episodes of constant victimhood on Queer as Folk, to being seen as complete people in more modern media. Some guys in our movement are butch, some are fem, some ladies don’t wear dresses in the queer community, some do, and some in our community don’t identify as men or women. We have gained a level of civil rights achievements faster than almost any other civil rights movement.

However, we need to start coming to terms that this was a battle that benefited only some in our community, not all. Equality for our relationships is important, but so is sheltering homeless queer youth. Only roughly 5% of young people identify as LGBT/Queer, but make up 30% - 50% of unaccompanied minors on the streets. It is an important issue that never gets enough attention or money from the queer powers that be.


Marriage equality is important, but so is employment non - discrimination. LGBT/Queer Americans are not protected at work in 32 states. The queer community and people of color both face discrimination in the workplace, but the worst is the fact that we are discriminated against before we even start. Economists have found in numerous studies with faux resumes sent to employers that resumes with LGBT work histories or African American names both received less call backs than white heteronormative men.


The right to love is essential, and so is the right to have access to quality healthcare. The queer community, especially queer seniors have consistently been shown to have less access to healthcare. More disturbing is the LGBT/Queer community is in need of health services now more than ever to combat both complications to getting older and far too many of our young gay men being infected with HIV. The LGBT/Queer community needs access to queer accepting doctors, queer accepting senior care, affordable HIV regimes and HIV prevention including PrEP.


Then queer community has come a long way, but our journey is not complete. We must start having a discussion of both the mainstream perception that being queer is a white identify, and the racism within our on community. One third of the queer community are people of color. Yet, if you turn on TV or go to many gay bars you would think everyone in our community is white, financially well off men with great abs and fantastic hair (yes it is true I do have amazing hair too). However, not everyone in our community is rich, or white, or male. However, many of those men, I have noticed need to expand their horizons and consider expanding their social circles. Not to mention the reports of racism queer people of color face within the LGBT/Queer community.


So lets continue the celebration for this victory, lets defend marriage equality and we must fight back against so called “freedom of religion” laws. However, lets not think this represents the whole of our community. Lets prioritize helping working class queer Americans, queer people of color and most of all helping our queer youth on the streets. Its time the queer community became a big tent and allowed all who are Lesbian, Transgender, Bisexual, Gay and everyone in between in regardless of class, age, looks, race or gender. Its time for us to think big!

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