A Brief History of the LGBTQ+ Community Part V

A Brief History of the LGBTQ+ Community Part V

Don't Stop

      I’m glad to have taken this journey with you all. But there’s more. The gay rights evolution is unprecedented in its importance. As half of the population has an extra X chromosome, the entirety of the human race and its history falls somewhere down the middle. It’s important to be queer. Did anyone ever tell you what that meant? It’s not an umbrella term. It’s a political term. It’s not just a means for individuals to defy labels. It is the deviant from the dominant ideologies. It means everything, and nothing, and that’s okay. It’s a queer world. Not everything has to make sense. And that is particularly queer. The dictionary definition is strange. A concept that can understood in any vernacular. The appropriation of an offensive word, is the thickest armor we have. Yes. I am queer. And I write to you on the behalf of my community. And I have evolved. Let’s take a look at where we left off. The gay rights evolution. The revolution.

     In 1993 “Don’t ask Don't tell” took effect. According to USC.Edu “The Hawaii state high court finds that the marriage law prohibits the couples from getting a license because of their sex; the justices say this may deny the couples their equal protection rights under the Hawaii Constitution. The case is sent back to circuit court to resolve the issue. In 1994 Steve Gunderson was outed and became the first openly gay Republican congressman.

In 1996 president Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act. This act meant that states do not have to recognize same-sex marriage. In 2000 Vermont became the first state to recognize unions and domestic partnerships between same-sex couples. In 2003 sodomy laws became unconstitutional in Texas. In 2004 Massachusetts became the first state to legalize gay marriage. In 2010 Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was revoked. In 2011 New York passed the Marriage Equality Act.

     The flip side of history is the present. In endless succession we and history are constantly destroying and recreating ourselves in the effort of finding that delicate balance between the self and the community, between legislation and rights, between hope and fear, between Rocky and Horror.

     I’d hate to bring in the French philosopher Lacan and his idea of the Imago into this, but hey, I’m not just here to provide a brief history of the LGBTQ+ Community, I’m here to give you a comprehensive Brief History of the LGBTQ+ Community. And the Imago is what I previously. A delicate balance between what you see in the mirror and what the pervading ideologies shape that reflection. And here’s a picture of Mulan because I’m immature.

       Goodbye Folks, I hope this was as educational for you as it was for me. Peace!