As GLBT individuals, we continue to face a lot of struggles in our quest for fairness and equality, but we will make it.
Just 10 years ago, Lavender was printing its first issue, and some landmark GLBT businesses were accepting their first chamber dollars.
Sodomy was illegal, and no jurisdiction anywhere, on any level, recognized same-sex marriage rights.
GLBT persons will make it, because we have the right to do so, and -- as I have written before -- because the community at large needs us to succeed.
I was reminded of this when I recently brought my toddler nephew, Dietrich, to work. Lavender is a child-friendly workplace, and his parents had to spend the day in hospital.
(Let me say kudos to any parent who accomplishes anything while watching a child, no matter how well behaved. Parenting is hard work.)
Taking responsibility for Dietrich reinforced to me that we do not need permission to have families -- we already do. Millions of GLBT folks all over the world serve as moms, dads, uncles, aunts, and grandparents.
It's a biological fact. We are all members of families, and that cannot be changed. As such, we must realize the right [to] openly fill our family roles.
Dietrich also is a member of a cultural minority group in the Twin Cities.
Unless something changes, Dietrich will probably face, as have other members of his family, subtle, even blatant, stereotypes, prejudices, ignorant statements, and pressures to conform to the cultural expectations and values of another majority culture, often to his detriment or exclusion (sound familiar?).
Though unfortunate, Dietrich's situation is real. The only way for his tomorrow to improve is for us to confront today issues of social discrimination and bias.
The entire society needs the GLBT community to succeed in the pursuit of fairness, because a society that tolerates discrimination and openly codifies injustice into its legal system respects nobody.
Reinforcing the interrelatedness of our society, Dietrich accompanied me to a recent press conference.
St Paul Mayor Randy Kelly was supporting a new outreach effort by the St Paul retail community to the young urbanites and condo dwellers, who depend on taxers paid by healthy businesses to provide much needed mortgage assistance, student loans, and effective municipal services.
Lavender was there to help build those relationships.
Dietrich took the time to thank the Mayor for supporting the continuation of the Early Childhood and Family Education (ECFE) programming at Highland Park schools, paid for by state taxes.
Then, Dietrich and I, as a family, headed out to support some of those St Paul businesses.
originally published 27 May - 09 Jun, 2005
Lavender Magazine, v 11, no 260
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Just 10 years ago, Lavender was printing its first issue, and some landmark GLBT businesses were accepting their first chamber dollars.
Sodomy was illegal, and no jurisdiction anywhere, on any level, recognized same-sex marriage rights.
GLBT persons will make it, because we have the right to do so, and -- as I have written before -- because the community at large needs us to succeed.
I was reminded of this when I recently brought my toddler nephew, Dietrich, to work. Lavender is a child-friendly workplace, and his parents had to spend the day in hospital.
(Let me say kudos to any parent who accomplishes anything while watching a child, no matter how well behaved. Parenting is hard work.)
Taking responsibility for Dietrich reinforced to me that we do not need permission to have families -- we already do. Millions of GLBT folks all over the world serve as moms, dads, uncles, aunts, and grandparents.
It's a biological fact. We are all members of families, and that cannot be changed. As such, we must realize the right [to] openly fill our family roles.
Dietrich also is a member of a cultural minority group in the Twin Cities.
Unless something changes, Dietrich will probably face, as have other members of his family, subtle, even blatant, stereotypes, prejudices, ignorant statements, and pressures to conform to the cultural expectations and values of another majority culture, often to his detriment or exclusion (sound familiar?).
Though unfortunate, Dietrich's situation is real. The only way for his tomorrow to improve is for us to confront today issues of social discrimination and bias.
The entire society needs the GLBT community to succeed in the pursuit of fairness, because a society that tolerates discrimination and openly codifies injustice into its legal system respects nobody.
Reinforcing the interrelatedness of our society, Dietrich accompanied me to a recent press conference.
St Paul Mayor Randy Kelly was supporting a new outreach effort by the St Paul retail community to the young urbanites and condo dwellers, who depend on taxers paid by healthy businesses to provide much needed mortgage assistance, student loans, and effective municipal services.
Lavender was there to help build those relationships.
Dietrich took the time to thank the Mayor for supporting the continuation of the Early Childhood and Family Education (ECFE) programming at Highland Park schools, paid for by state taxes.
Then, Dietrich and I, as a family, headed out to support some of those St Paul businesses.
originally published 27 May - 09 Jun, 2005
Lavender Magazine, v 11, no 260
Minneapolis, Minnesota
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