My facebook feed is flooded with congratulation posts about the recent decision of the Supreme Court concerning the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act. DOMA is unconstitutional. They've said it. It's one huge victory for the LGBTQ community and basically anyone who believes that individuals should have the right to choose to be with whoever they love. But if we look at the arduous journey for equality in this country, this victory is just a foot in the door. I can only imagine that individuals from the LGBTQ community rejoiced with deep breaths and affirming tears. The fight has been won. They can finally rest for an hour or so. But the war on inequality, the everlasting struggle to allow targeted identities to be the people they want to be without any hindrance is still persistent and menacing. And they understand that, just like I understand how alienated me and my friends felt when we saw the Supreme Court affirm a post racial reality that is only real for white Americans. Yet my newsfeed is filled only with rejoicing particularly from people who aren't from the LGBTQ community. And that's fine. But rejoice with an inside voice because that's not your victory. It isn't my victory either. While I am an ally, I could never say that I fought as hard as I could have for the LGBTQ community. I didn't shed tears when prop 8 was put into place. I didn't stand alongside protesters and I didn't risk my life and livelihood to be associated with the LGBTQ community. Instead I scolded a few friends for misusing the term gay and wore a fucking button. And that's ok. But now that the time has come from celebration, please leave me off the invite list. I don't deserve to take part in any grandiose celebrations and honestly I don't want to right now since my community and my rights have potentially taken a drastic step back.
But what bothers me the most is that all around the country, in upper class cities and college towns, hordes of neo-liberalist predominantly white Americans will turn this into a spectacle. They will throw parties and write superficial facebook statuses. They'll have a pseudo political conversation with their one gay friend about "how they feel". And then afterwards it'll be business as usual. They'll go back to their bias free lives, while some of their gay friends will find themselves wondering why so much hatred and discrimination still exists. The LGBTQ community won today, but tomorrow the same thought I have now will pop into their heads: "I thought we got passed this." Indeed we did think that. But now that's it's tomorrow, we've realized that there's so much more to do.
But what bothers me the most is that all around the country, in upper class cities and college towns, hordes of neo-liberalist predominantly white Americans will turn this into a spectacle. They will throw parties and write superficial facebook statuses. They'll have a pseudo political conversation with their one gay friend about "how they feel". And then afterwards it'll be business as usual. They'll go back to their bias free lives, while some of their gay friends will find themselves wondering why so much hatred and discrimination still exists. The LGBTQ community won today, but tomorrow the same thought I have now will pop into their heads: "I thought we got passed this." Indeed we did think that. But now that's it's tomorrow, we've realized that there's so much more to do.
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