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The long walk to gay equality is the great civil-rights stumble of our time The long walk to gay equality is the great civil-rights stumble of our time
(about 1 hour later)
Between 2011 and 2013, theater educator and activist Alan Bounville walked 6,000 miles across the United States with the modest goal “to end gender and sexual orientation discrimination”. Along the way, he went through 21 pairs of shoes, but not a single state he walked through offered equality – not the marriage kind, or much of any other variety.Between 2011 and 2013, theater educator and activist Alan Bounville walked 6,000 miles across the United States with the modest goal “to end gender and sexual orientation discrimination”. Along the way, he went through 21 pairs of shoes, but not a single state he walked through offered equality – not the marriage kind, or much of any other variety.
By the time Bounville reached New York City, however, a lot had changed. Marriage was legal in many more states than when he’d departed from the east coast and walked to the Pacific Ocean and back again. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell had been repealed for gay, lesbian and bisexual service members. President Obama came out more forcefully for certain gay rights. By the time Bounville reached New York City, however, a lot had changed. Marriage was legal in many more states than when he’d departed. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell had been repealed for gay, lesbian and bisexual service members. President Obama came out more forcefully for certain gay rights.
Now, a year after his walk and the supposedly breakthrough Doma and Prop 8 decisions at the US supreme court, Bounville isn’t especially optimistic about the state of queer rights, despite all the progress. “We aren’t changing much. We are, but we’re not,” he told me this week, the day a Louisiana judge broke a streak of same-sex marriage equality rulings – and the day before an appeals court struck down gay marriage bans in Wisconsin and Indiana. He emphasized violence, transphobia and economic injustice. He’s appalled schools that “still don’t have the resources, even here in New York City”, to deal with anti-gay bullying.Now, a year after his walk and the supposedly breakthrough Doma and Prop 8 decisions at the US supreme court, Bounville isn’t especially optimistic about the state of queer rights, despite all the progress. “We aren’t changing much. We are, but we’re not,” he told me this week, the day a Louisiana judge broke a streak of same-sex marriage equality rulings – and the day before an appeals court struck down gay marriage bans in Wisconsin and Indiana. He emphasized violence, transphobia and economic injustice. He’s appalled schools that “still don’t have the resources, even here in New York City”, to deal with anti-gay bullying.
Bounville has a point: Despite some encouraging victories, the big gay dream of “full equality now” still feels distant – if not impossible. Marriage remains illegal in all but two of the states he walked through. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is still the law for transgender service members. Beyond those two arenas of American life in which Gay Inc has battled so intensely, the most basic of civil rights for most queer people look bleak.Bounville has a point: Despite some encouraging victories, the big gay dream of “full equality now” still feels distant – if not impossible. Marriage remains illegal in all but two of the states he walked through. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is still the law for transgender service members. Beyond those two arenas of American life in which Gay Inc has battled so intensely, the most basic of civil rights for most queer people look bleak.
Violence is disturbingly high for all LGBT people. Queer youth are much more likely to be homeless or to commit suicide than their straight piers. In most states, it’s perfectly legal to fire workers based on their gender identity or sexual orientation. And, despite the visibility of police abuse this past month, it’s nearly unspoken that police profiling disproportionately targets queer youth of color – and that some of the most frequent victims of police violence are trans women of color. Violence is disturbingly high for all LGBT people. Queer youth are much more likely to be homeless or to commit suicide than their straight peers. In most states, it’s perfectly legal to fire workers based on their gender identity or sexual orientation. And, despite the visibility of police abuse this past month, it’s nearly unspoken that police profiling disproportionately targets queer youth of color – and that some of the most frequent victims of police violence are trans women of color.
To be sure, a great deal of LGBT victories do come through the courts. But it’s not just some judge’s stinging rebuke against discrimination in the American midwest that will change hearts and minds. Not when the surge in popular support for gay rights – the one that so overwhelmed the supreme court – has now stagnated. It’s the married lesbian moms dropping their kids off at school and the transgender father at the PTA meeting who win the real victories. It’s the single gay man who can talk about protecting his sexual health without feeling shame who will do that. It’s the queer Americans who walk openly among their neighbors – they are making it harder for their neighbors to deny all of us equality.To be sure, a great deal of LGBT victories do come through the courts. But it’s not just some judge’s stinging rebuke against discrimination in the American midwest that will change hearts and minds. Not when the surge in popular support for gay rights – the one that so overwhelmed the supreme court – has now stagnated. It’s the married lesbian moms dropping their kids off at school and the transgender father at the PTA meeting who win the real victories. It’s the single gay man who can talk about protecting his sexual health without feeling shame who will do that. It’s the queer Americans who walk openly among their neighbors – they are making it harder for their neighbors to deny all of us equality.
Bounville remains hopeful about another walk: the coming integration of New York City’s St Patrick’s Day Parade, whose organizers announced will allow NBC’s corporate LGBT group to march in 2015 for the first time. (The good news was immediately tempered by the group Irish Queers, which points out the deal is “between parade organizers and one of their last remaining sponsors, NBC,” and that groups like theirs have been told “we ‘can apply’ in years to come”.) He believes that “to share the space walking with the other forces you to recognize their humanity”. That is why he planned his own march through places with a lot of known hate crimes, holding candlelight vigils for people like Joey Harris in Oregon, Troy Martinez Clattenburg in Texas and Ryan Skipper in Florida. Bounville remains hopeful about another walk: the coming integration of New York City’s St Patrick’s Day Parade, whose organizers announced will allow NBC’s corporate LGBT group to march in 2015 for the first time. (The good news was immediately tempered by the group Irish Queers, which points out the deal is “between parade organizers and one of their last remaining sponsors, NBC,” and that groups like theirs have been told “we ‘can apply’ in years to come”.) He believes that “to share the space walking with the other forces you to recognize their humanity”. That is why he planned his own march through places with a lot of known hate crimes, holding candlelight vigils for people like Joey Harris in Washington, Troy Martinez Clattenburg in Texas and Ryan Skipper in Florida.
The empathy Bounville sought to engender in straight people didn’t flow in one direction. “It happened to me,” he said, when he walked with homophobic people during his own march: seeing them eye-to-eye “made me have empathy for them. Not a lot, but empathy still.”The empathy Bounville sought to engender in straight people didn’t flow in one direction. “It happened to me,” he said, when he walked with homophobic people during his own march: seeing them eye-to-eye “made me have empathy for them. Not a lot, but empathy still.”
One very empathetic exchange from Bounville’s walk ended in tragedy. When his trek concluded in front of the White House, he held up a picture of Jadin Bell, a gay 15-year-old who committed suicide after being bullied. Bell’s father, Joe, heard about this and sought out Bounville – he, too, wanted to walk across America, in memory of his son. Bounville gave the grieving dad advice in several phone calls, and he passed on his GPS for extra safety on his walk.One very empathetic exchange from Bounville’s walk ended in tragedy. When his trek concluded in front of the White House, he held up a picture of Jadin Bell, a gay 15-year-old who committed suicide after being bullied. Bell’s father, Joe, heard about this and sought out Bounville – he, too, wanted to walk across America, in memory of his son. Bounville gave the grieving dad advice in several phone calls, and he passed on his GPS for extra safety on his walk.
Halfway across the country, the elder Bell was struck and killed by a truck.Halfway across the country, the elder Bell was struck and killed by a truck.
Until there is full equality for all, this type of violent collateral damage is inevitable.Until there is full equality for all, this type of violent collateral damage is inevitable.