Celebrate The Gift Of Being Gay
The Stonewall Riots happened in New York City forty years ago this June. The riots started with a police raid on the Stonewall Inn in New York City. Persecution of homosexuals and raids on homosexual gathering places were common at the time.
But there must have been “something in the air” the night of June 27, 1969; maybe it was years of pent up frustration; maybe it was anger at being persecuted for so long. Whatever the cause, The Stonewall Riots are generally recognized as the first time gay people stood together and fought back against the tyranny they had been subjected to for so many years. As the patrons were rousted out of the bar and the arrests were being made, soon a crowd of about 2000 gathered. And then it began…Angry words were shouted at the police and chants of “Gay Power” came from the crowd. Soon words turned to actions as the crowd began throwing things at the police like bottles and trash cans.
Several people were arrested, some were injured and some police were also hurt. The riots were repeated the next night with even a larger number of people participating in the revolt. The Riot Squad needed to be called in to bring it to an end; the Gay Rights movement had begun.
We LGBT people have come a long way in gaining equal rights and acceptance since those nights in June of 1969. Becoming accepted by society has not been an easy journey. Showing that we are just like everybody else has taken a long time, but our efforts have paid off.
We are now represented, mostly positively, on TV shows and in movies. We have almost come to expect there to be at least one gay character in a new TV show or in a movie. Domestic partners are now recognized at many companies and cities. At the state level, domestic partners, civil unions and even marriage has been legalized. Advertisers now direct marketing directly to the LGBT community, especially for gay travel packages.
This does not mean that our work for acceptance is at an end. Homophobia still exists not only in the United States, but also in countries all over the planet. Gay teenagers still kill themselves and gay hate crimes are even on the rise. We still have ignorance and hatred to overcome.
However, in our efforts to be accepted and to show the world “that we’re just like everybody else”, let’s not lose sight of the fact that we are different than roughly 90% of the people around us. Our Creator made us different, and in doing so gave us gifts and talents that the world is in need of; let us not forget to celebrate the uniqueness of these gifts and talents.
Being gay, we walk between the worlds of typical male or female gender roles. We are more keenly aware of both our masculine and feminine attributes. This awareness allows us to more easily see, and be open to, many aspects of life that others cannot see. Thus, many of us are known as being unifiers; people with the ability to bridge gaps between others and heal relationships of all kinds. Walking between worlds can also make us more receptive to the “unseen” things in life and we become healers and shamans.
We are known to be intensely creative and many of us are involved in the arts. We are musicians, dancers, poets, singers, teachers, painters, song writers, actors, and yes, hair stylists and fashion designers! We are also world class athletes and Nobel Prize scientists. There seems to be an innate need in us to “give back”, to help others and in general make the world a better place for everyone.
The following quote from Marianne Williamson is wonderful. It is not directly addressed to gay people, but it expresses eloquently the gay experience of hiding ourselves and our gifts from the world:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
No two people on this planet are exactly the same. Our Creator has made each of us different; each of us with our own unique gifts and talents. Let us all shine together: men and women, straight and gay, without regard to skin color or religious following.
Howie Holben is the owner of Spirit Journeys, a spiritually based gay travel and retreats organization. His goal is to help others uncover their potential by setting their hearts and minds free. You can learn more about Howie, his work and gay spirituality at www.SpiritJourneys.com.
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