History in a lifetime

I've been working on some website material for the safe schools group I volunteer with, BoulderValley Safe Schools Coalition (which I talked about before). Mid-task, I paused and thought, "Wow ... This is amazing!" It just hit me how remarkable it is that I have these things to post—and that this site even exists. 

I was working on "Save the Date" announcements for two major LGBTQ-related happenings scheduled for a single weekend in March. Both are sponsored by major institutions in the state, and one is co-hosted by the governor. This is astonishing when you think about where we came from and how recently our journey began.

In my lifetime (in fact, in my adult lifetime), LGBTQ people in this country were universally shunned and vilified. In my lifetime, a “homosexual” identity was considered a sin by religious groups, illegal in the eyes of the law, and a sickness according to psychology. Of course, it is still considered a sin by many denominations (and many politicians). It was only declared by mental health professionals to be a normal form of human experience, not a mental illness, in 1973. And laws against homosexuality were endorsed right up to the US Supreme Court until 2003 – that's less than a decade ago!

But now, increasing numbers of faith communities are actively supportive of LGBTQ folks and their rights. All the major mental health professions have taken clear stands on behalf of the people they once declared sick. And progress toward equal rights before the law, while slower than we might prefer, is nonetheless dramatic.

Sometimes, LGBTQ people complain about how slow the movement toward full equality has been. But the time span of this movement is incredibly short. The Stonewall riots, widely considered the start of the LGBTQ rights movement, happened just over 40 years ago. Consider that time frame against the several centuries that passed before African American people made any major steps toward equality. And that movement is still in process.

Of course progress is spotty. Many LGBTQ youth thrive in supportive families and communities, but persistent homophobia leaves some at risk for harassment and even assault and many struggling with self-doubt and depression. The repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" allowed gay and lesbian service members to serve openly, but it ignored bisexual people and left transgender folks with no clear path toward similar rights. Same-sex marriage is legal in some states, but those marriages are not recognized in others. Gay-straight alliances are mandated in Massachusetts schools but banned in some other localities. Some elders have escaped the closets where they took refuge for so long and are now hearty contributors to this movement. Others remain more or less hidden, too frightened and demoralized by years of mistreatment to move far beyond a close circle of friends. Yet overall, if we consider the big picture, we are on a steep trajectory from invisibility and disdain to recognition and dignity.

For individuals yearning for full legal and social equality, the process seems slow. But in the context of historical time, the LGBTQ equal rights movement has been fast! Lightning fast. Eye blink fast. New York minute fast. 

And look where it has brought us! In the lifetime of people who once were refused the slightest right, the least honor, the smallest acknowledgement of their humanity—in their lifetime, we have come so far that I am posting announcements of two events on one weekend that are devoted to honoring, affirming, celebrating LGBTQ life. And I am posting them on behalf of a group that collaborates with the school district administration to make life right for LGBTQ kids.

This is amazing!

And then consider the nature of these events:

• The 6th annual TRANSformingGender Symposium, a chance for everyday folks to learn about transgender, gender queer, and other issues around gender identity and gender expression. Transgender identities weren't even named a couple of decades ago. Heck, the concept is still not understood by many folks (including many LGB folks). But here’s a 3-day program devoted to this edgy topic.
• The Statewide Convening on LGBT Youth will provide information and tools for folks all around the state who work with young people to help them understand the unique needs of LGBTQ youth. This amounts to a consciousness-raising and educational event for youth workers across Colorado to learn specifically about LGBTQ youth in a positive and affirming framework. This is the one co-hosted by Governor Hickenlooper. 

This is really amazing!

Think about how different this is from the sin, sick, illegal model that was completely unquestioned so recently. Not only do these events take LGBTQ lives seriously—seriously enough to devote days to them. Not only are they offered right out in the open, hosted by state institutions and the Guv. Not only do we now know enough about LGBTQ lives to hold multi-day events on topics within the topic of LGBTQ experience. But most astonishing of all, we have come to this moment from our starting point of shame in the short span of (less than) one lifetime.

How can we not pause to cheer?