On our campus, it appears that some believe our gay and lesbian peers and colleagues have no right to life. The graffiti on the front of our GLBT Center tells them to “die.” Yet, the first words of the preamble of the Declaration of Independence are:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights; among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Self-evident. Meaning it’s so obvious that there’s no need for a discussion or explanation.
Yet, for a long time, the whole country said that these words did not apply to someone with my dark skin color. Slavery and then racial segregation was all evidence of no right to liberty; to choose where to live or go to school; no right to vote until 1965. No right to choose who to marry, and no right to the pursuit of happiness until 1967.
Racial segregation did something very important. It made it clear who was part of “we” and who was part of “they.”
With those immoral laws gone, we now live in a time when interacting with someone who does not look like us is unavoidable. Now we struggle with neo-diversity anxiety that is causing some to want to keep other American citizens in the category of “they” and “them.”
Regarding the preamble, General Colin Powell said,
“This beautiful statement was not the reality of 1776, but it set forth the dream that we would strive to make a reality … Governments belong to the people and exist to secure the rights endowed to every citizen.”
Diversity is the first American promise. That makes diversity the American value. As citizens, we are all required to accept and work for that American value.
Whenever we have fought diversity in the past, we have held ourselves back. In fact, that seems always to be the point in fighting against diversity– to have America stay the same, to stagnate. But when we have come to accepting diversity, we have moved forward. We have grown as a nation because we have begun to use all the talents available to us, making our nation stronger.
I served in the U.S . Navy from 1972 to 1976. I served with men of honor. Some of those men were gay. On board ship, 5,000 men on aircraft carriers, did we know that? Yes, we did. Yet, all that mattered was that everyone did their job.
About finally eliminating Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mullen said, “… we have been asking American citizens to lie about who they are in order to serve our nation. That is not who we are; we are better than that.”
Yet, some of us still want to condemn gay and lesbian American citizens, some of whom are willing to risk their lives to serve and protect American freedoms. Some of us want to tell gays and lesbians they have no right to marry or to the pursuit of happiness. And some say they have no right to life; die.
Will we on this campus stand for that?
Remember, “We hold these truths to be self-evident…”
