Honoring Harvey Milk

The Presidential Medal of Freedom

From the President today, on posthumously awarding Harvey Milk a Presidential Medal of Freedom:

His name was Harvey Milk, and he was here to recruit us — all of us — to join a movement and change a nation.  For much of his early life, he had silenced himself.  In the prime of his life, he was silenced by the act of another.  But in the brief time in which he spoke — and ran and led — his voice stirred the aspirations of millions of people.  He would become, after several attempts, one of the first openly gay Americans elected to public office.  And his message of hope — hope unashamed, hope unafraid — could not ever be silenced.  It was Harvey who said it best:  “You gotta give ‘em hope.”

A great moment for LGBT Americans, our allies and Milk’s family.  (The video is at the bottom of the post.)  As reported by Kerry Eleveld from The Advocate, the Rev. Joseph Lowery, another of today’s honorees, also spoke today about the movement for LGBT equality: “In the arena of human relations, let’s come down on the side of love, inclusiveness, not exclusion.”

Love — that’s important.

In January of 2004, the talk about the Goodridge decision in Massachusetts, rumors about anti-marriage amendments going on the ballot for the fall and questions about the impact of marriage equality on the presidential and other elections made the debate among LGBT activists, at times, pretty hot and heavy.  Today’s announcement by Equality California that it is supporting a 2012 — and not 2010 — effort to repeal Proposition 8 is one part of a similarly contentious debate.

My 2004 new year’s resolution — though a bit lengthy — seems apt for today’s environment:

“[The] Tuesday [Goodridge was decided] was a landmark day, an advance in the great, unfinished journey of equal dignity and equal rights for all citizens. We urge everyone to see beneath the political posturing to this simple and powerful truth. Citizenship is indivisible. Equality is non-negotiable. . . . And we urge all people of goodwill to make this battle their own.”

So wrote the editors of The New Republic on Dec. 1, 2003. As we enter this new year, it is my sincere hope that all consider these words and the lives of those lesbian, gay, and bisexual persons in their families, at their places of employment, or in their towns and cities.

As we enter a presidential election year, as Senate battles are fought across the country, and as city councils and such debate issues of lesbian and gay equality, remember that those who are so easily demonized are real people whose very real lives are greatly affected by these decisions.

Now, for me.

I, for one, will try my best to remember the same – not just of those equally demonized conservative religious folk, but also of those whose viewpoint on the best way of achieving lesbian and gay equality is different than mine own.

I obviously differ with [some people] on the best ways of achieving equality, but in so doing it is not at all my intent to suggest any impure motive for such. I will continue to express and advocate for what I feel is the proper course in this journey, but I hope that as I do so it is done with respect and honest appreciation for those who have come before me. It is also done with the knowledge that others are on this journey with me, in front of me, and behind me – even if our visions of equality would lead to different places at different times.

I greatly appreciate those who have shaped my perspective – as well as those who challenge that perspective. In the new year, I look forward to looking at these complex issues from different and new perspectives and refining or altering my perspective as seems appropriate.

Harvey Milk, one of today's Presidential Medal of Freedom honorees.

From the still-remembered words of Harvey Milk to those spoken today by President Obama and the Rev. Joseph Lowery, the language of equality for LGBT people is powerful.  The details on how we can best — and most quickly — get there is an ever-present debate for us and our allies.  But, it is a question of “how” — not, for the most part, “if.”

For the LGBT community, we should work to honor Milk by honoring our diversity.  We have different perspectives because we all come to today from a different path.  Even today, we all are somewhere different — both physically and otherwise — than others amongst us.  To succeed in achieving equality, we must find a way to be OK with those differences and to realize that the diversity of our community is a strength not a weakness.  It is tough, but we must not let strategic, political differences tear at the strength of our righteous cause.

For the President, the Medal is an honor Milk deserved, but you can better honor him by bringing about the “change” of which you spoke today.  Please change our nation by doing what you can to bring equality to LGBT Americans.  Change our nation by impressing upon Congress the importance of passing the legislation that will aid in that work.  And, finally, change our nation by becoming a leader in the fight for marriage equality.

Thank you, Harvey Milk, for still inspiring me — and many others — to this very day.

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