Rightfully so, LGBT news has largely focused on the federal hearings against Proposition 8 since last Monday. I've been trying to find a way to discuss the importance of these hearings on our community and LGBT communications practice.
Personally, I experienced the pain of complacency from my straight counterparts on the first day of hearings. Every Monday night, a small group of young people from my church meet in my home to discuss various topics and issues. The topic that night was marriage and for more than an hour, those in the room debated the elements of compatibility, the essential elements of marriage, the pain of divorce — and never once realized that many people, some of them their friends, around the city and country were acutely attuned to the beginning discussions of lawyers and judges that would decide whether they have the right to marry the person they love.
Today, media, including the Associated Press, highlighted a bold message from a surprising influencer of the Republican party. I'm sure most of you have seen Adam Bouska's NOH8 campaign, the series of photos by the gay rights group challenging Prop 8 featuring celebrities and everyday people with duct tape across their mouth and the NOH8 logo on their face. Cindy McCain, wife of 2008 Republican presidential candidate and mother of lesbian daughter Meghan McCain, graced the NOH8 site today, endorsing pro-gay marriage efforts.
Cindy McCain's visual statement raised praise from her daughter Meghan on Twitter and an issued statement from John McCain's office stating his continued view that marriage is "between a man and a woman." As a key Republican figure, she pushes the party's fundamental stance against gay marriage with this photo — and fully embodies the importance of being out front as an ally.
Here, as on many other sites, we highlight the remarkable power of personally knowing an LGBT individual. Countless allies, including Cindy, have been created because gay and lesbian people, like Meghan, have bravely risked their comfort and life as they knew it to share their sexuality.
As the Prop 8 arguments continue to press onward, know that important conversations must still be happening outside of the courtroom. Gays and lesbians must continue to share their life, even if they've been out for years, because our straight brothers and sisters are largely immune to the rights we're fighting for. When we honestly tell our story, we can create allies whose voice can create an echo chamber among their friends and slowly change the current understanding of love, marriage and equal rights in America.
SUBSCRIBE