As I spoke from our Capitol steps I was inspired because Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke on the sa
As I stood on our Capitol steps and spoke into the microphone I heard these words echo across the historic Capitol grounds of Montgomery Alabama:
"I am honored to be with you today as a native of Alabama, as a gay man, and as a representative of the lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and gay community. The amazing women of this community are lesbian, bisexual, and transgender. Last night I attended a production of the Vagina Monologues in Huntsville. I learned that 1 in 3 women are victims of rape and other forms of violence. There are more than 1 billion women in our world right now who have been violated. Lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women are part of the 1 in 3.
The lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and gay community transcends all human boundaries. We are of all religions, all belief systems, all nations, all schools, all neighborhoods, all political affiliations, all ages, all colors, all sizes, all races. We are part of all families. We are part of all communities. We share all the problems of our society and all the solutions.
We recognize the incredible Civil Rights journey of the 20th century which took place here in Alabama. We recognize that this Civil Rights movement contributed to a movement to secure equality for all people regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. We recognize that today the Civil Rights movement of the 20th century is a Human Rights movement in the 21st century.
Alabama is a battleground in the war against Human Rights. Progressive Alabamians must stand together and lift our voices to say to our elected officials here in Montgomery and across our country that we will no longer tolerate inequality. We will no longer be denied our rights as human beings and we will no longer sit by while the rights we have struggled for are striped away from us. I stand here today in solidarity with each of you in the struggle for Human Rights … for Women's Rights!"
founder and Executive Director, GLBT Advocacy & Youth Services, Inc.
Event: Alabama's War on Women Rally, Montgomery, Alabama April 28, 2012
