Abundant blessings

Abundant blessings

On Oct. 11, 1987—eight years after the first LGBT March on Washington, nearly 500,000 repeated the effort to demand equal protections in the workplace, homes and in society.

We were mobilized in part by the devastating effect of AIDS and the lack of concern or investment of research money from the seated administration. Not only were we worried about what AIDS was doing to the bodies of gay men, but what it began to reveal about the inequalities we truly faced in the medical profession, the workplace, our living environments and our families. This march also sponsored the first mass wedding for same-gender loving couples and unveiled the Names Project and the AIDS remembrance quilt.

What this day became was an annual invitation to us all to come out. While it began in the United States, it is now officially celebrated in several countries, including Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom and The Netherlands.

When a person comes out it’s a moment of epiphany and personal acknowledgment. But the coming out experience is never a one-time event. We face multiple encounters, situations and relationships that for many of us require some thought before sharing the fullness of who we are.

Long before Oct. 11 became National Coming Out Day, the pioneering work of LGBT activists was well under way. However, many in our community know little of the historic beginnings of the LGBT movement. We must not assume that our constitutional rights to free assembly, freedom of speech and societal acceptance in many aspects of our society are enough to protect us.

Most of us are unaware that in Florida, LGBT people do not have workplace or fair housing protections. We are the only state in the country with comprehensive legislation that prohibits gays and lesbians from adopting. 

Florida’s Defense of Marriage Act clearly states who can legally marry and it even goes so far as to define the term “spouse” as only pertaining to the legally sanctioned union between one man and one woman. There are no laws for hate crimes protection and, sadly, there seems to be no mobilization to make changes. 

We have grown complacent with the few privileges that we have, and for some reason we think our work is done. But it is not done and it is not work just for the passionate volunteers and small number of non-profits, activists and supportive legislators. 

The majority of this work is actually done by each of us and what we do in our daily lives. Not knowing our historical journey to liberation and equality means that we may miss the passing of those who have paved the way for the freedoms we do have. 

Bobby Smith and Katherine (Miss Kay) Thompson are two people who made a substantial difference in the Tampa Bay area just by being who they were. Bobby and Kay both passed away this year, but the legacy they left us will live on for lifetimes to come.

Bobby and Kay met in 1959—a time when lesbian roles were often defined as butch/fem. Bobby was often asked whether she was male or female and would respond by saying “I am Bobby and that’s all you need to know.”

Bobby and Kay marched in parades and had four commitment ceremonies—including one at the 1987 March on Washington’s mass marriage ceremony. Bobby was a photographer and Kay owned a flower shop. They were very dedicated to their beliefs and in 1971 became founding members of the Metropolitan Community Church of Tampa. Bobby and Kay deeply believed that God loved everyone and there should be at least one church in Tampa to proclaim that message. 

Initially, the church lost several leases when property owners learned that MCC Tampa was an LGBT-affirming church. But that didn’t stop Bobby and Kay’s mission. In fact, the couple mortgaged their home to get a down payment for a permanent church address.

Not long before Bobby died, I visited him and he told me he was pleased with how he had lived his life and was ready to go home.
Bobby and Kay are just one of many examples of people who sacrificed much because they had nothing. It seems that the more we get, the more comfortable we become with less-than-full equality. If those who have gone before us can do so much with so little, we can at least do a little. 

And if everybody does just a little—write legislators, work on a campaign or non-profit, come out or give money to lobbying organizations dedicated to this unfinished work—we will win. 

Oct. 11 is not only National Coming Out Day, it is our day of Thanksgiving. While it is true that we have a long way to go, we must never forget those who have worked for our liberty and justice. 

Go forth and, as Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see.”

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