R.I.P. Nelson Mandela, Your Spirit Will Forever Live On!

In perpetual and infinite solidarity...

Gay Rights is the Civil Rights Movement of our Time!

More often than not, in the present, a majority of folks in the USA feel change is too far off. They'll say it's hard to think about a restructuring of economy, government, and that what's generally accepted in the now-for example, discrimination against people based on their sexuality-is too much to change.

To that I say look at what happened when women voiced their opinions on the matter of voting. Look at what happened leading up to the passing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Before 1970, not one environmental rule, regulation, law or policy existed. That is exactly what's currently happening in regards to gay rights. Of course that doesn't mean everyone turned into anti-patriarchal, anti-racist activists overnight, and it certainly doesn't main justice is easily found within the present oppressive systems in place. And i certainly doesn't mean racism and sexism have been eliminated through mainstream society. But it does speak to the fact that humans have created the socially constructed systems that have largely maintained oppression, and that therefore these conditions and systems can change by "the same" hands.

Ask a lesbian women, gay man and/or member of the transgender community what it was like to live in the 1950's, 60's, 70's and so on. That reality is changing today, and while nothing is perfect, many states are now realizing how archaic and ill informed their previous stances on the issue have been, much like states did once the tide turned for other movements of human civil rights in the past.

 Don't wait to follow the leader, be one.

All it takes is one person, state or country to lead the way for everyone else. Let's keep supporting LGBT community members in this struggle! The more action and solidarity that's taken, the more the groundswell of change for the betterment of all living things will come. 

Further reading and headlines: 

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/12/hawaii-gay-marriage-weddings-100522.html 

http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/12/03/248217871/how-2013-became-the-greatest-year-in-gay-rights-history

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2013/12/bar_mitzvah_speech_by_portland.html 

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2013/12/slide-show-first-days-of-gay-marriage.html#slide_ss_0=1