WHY ARE WE GATHERING ON SATURDAY?

WHY ARE WE GATHERING ON SATURDAY?



The opening of the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, states as follows:
“ We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

WHAT IS EQUALITY?

WELL, ACCORDING TO WEBSTER'S DICTIONARY THE FOLLOWING IS THE DEFINITION OF "EQUAL"

1 : the quality or state of being equal: like in quality, nature, or status c: like for each member of a group, class, or society

WHEN I AM ASKED WHY WE ARE HERE TODAY, MY FIRST REACTION IS TO EXPLAIN WHAT WE ARE NOT HERE FOR TODAY.


HATE IS NOT SOMETHING WE CAME HERE TO EXPRESS.

WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO HATE.

WE DON'T HAVE THE NEED TO HATE.

WE DON'T HAVE THE ENERGY TO HATE.



REVENGE IS NOT SOMETHING WE CAME HERE TODAY TO DEMAND.

REVENGE IS NOT ON OUR AGENDA.

WE DON'T HAVE THE NEED FOR REVENGE.

REVENGE IS A DISH BEST UNEATEN.


SO, WHAT ARE WE HERE FOR?

LOVE.

LOVE IS A CONCEPT THAT IS AS OLD AS ADAM AND EVE.

LOVE IS A CONCEPT THAT HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE DAVID AND JONATHAN 1 SAMUEL 18.

LOVE IS A CONCEPT THAT HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE RUTH AND NAOMI RUTH 1.

IN CASE YOU'RE NOT AWARE, THOSE LAST TWO LOVING AND COMMITTED COUPLES HAD THEIR STORY TOLD IN A LITTLE BOOK CALLED, THE BIBLE.

YOU SEE, WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AROUND.

AND IN LOVE.


WHEN YOU SPEAK OF LOVE YOU NATURALLY COME TO THE SUBJECT OF MARRIAGE.

MARRIAGE WAS ORIGINALLY A LEGAL CONTRACT IN WHICH A FATHER SOLD HIS DAUGHTER TO ANOTHER MAN'S SON.

AS WE HAVE EVOLVED AND CHANGED AS HUMANS, THE CONCEPT OF MARRIAGE HAS CHANGED.

DURING THE MEDIEVAL TIMES WE HUMANS EVOLVED INTO ROMANTICS AND THE CONCEPT OF LOVE WAS ALLOWED TO ENTER IN THE DEFINITION OF MARRIAGE.

HOWEVER, SOON OUTSIDE FORCES TURNED MARRIAGE INTO A SUPPOSED WAY TO SAVE MEN AND WOMEN FROM SIN.

THE SIN OF LOVE.

TODAY WE THINK OF MARRIAGE AS A JOYFUL CELEBRATION OF LOVE THAT EVERYONE SHOULD BE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE.

WE HAVE EVOLVED AND CHANGED.

AND SO HAS THE DEFINITION OF MARRIAGE.


THE OTHER REASON WE ARE HERE AND ARGUABLY THE MORE IMPORTANT REASON IS SIMPLE.

WE MEMBERS OF THE LGBT COMMUNITY WANT THE RIGHTS GIVEN TO US BY THE FOUNDING FATHERS OF THIS MOST WONDERFUL COUNTRY THAT WE KNOW AS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

THE FOUNDING FATHERS TOLD US FROM THE BEGINNING THAT WE WERE ALL EQUAL UNDER THE LAWS OF THIS COUNTRY.

NOW, WE ALL KNOW THAT WASN'T ALWAYS FOLLOWED.

BLACKS, NATIVE AMERICANS AND WOMEN CAN CERTAINLY FIND NUMEROUS EXAMPLES WHERE SOME GROUPS WERE NOT GIVEN THEIR EQUAL RIGHTS.

ONLY IN THE 1920'S WERE WOMEN ALLOWED TO VOTE.

BLACKS ACTUALLY WERE NOT GIVEN THEIR RIGHTS TO EQUAL ACCESS TO THE VOTE WITHIN ALOT OF OUR LIFETIMES.

UNTIL VERY RECENTLY THE LGBT COMMUNITY WAS CONSIDERED A VILE, SICK COMMUNITY THAT REQUIRED PSYCHIATRIC HELP.

WE AS A COUNTRY HAVE EVOLVED AND CHANGED.

WHAT HAS NOT CHANGED OVER THESE PAST 200 PLUS YEARS IS THE DEFINITION OF EQUALITY.

THE REASON WE ARE HERE TODAY IS TO NOT ONLY ASK THAT WE BE ALLOWED TO LOVE AND MARRY WHO WE WANT.

WE ARE ALSO HERE TO ASK FOR, NO, DEMAND OUR EQUAL RIGHTS WHICH THE FOUNDING FATHERS ASSURED US THAT WE AS CITIZENS IF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA HAVE.

WE IN THE LGBT COMMUNITY HAVE FOUGHT IN EVERY WAR AND CONTINUE TO DO SO NOW UNDER THE MOST UNFAIR CIRCUMSTANCES MUCH LIKE BLACK MEN AND WOMEN DID DURING WORLD WAR TWO.

WE HAVE TAUGHT THE CHILDREN OF THIS COUNTRY FROM THE VERY BEGINNING AND CONTINUE TO DO SO WITH PRIDE AND , YES, WITH LOVE.

WE HAVE BUILT THE BRIDGES AND THE ROADS.

WE HAVE FLOWN THE PLANES AND TILLED THE FARMS.

WE WERE THERE A THE BEGINNING OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT IN THE FORM OF BAYARD RUSTIN , WHO IF YOU DON'T KNOW, ORGANIZED THE HISTORIC MARCH ON WASHINGTON BY DR MARTIN LUTHER KING.

WE ARE HERE TODAY TO ASK, NO, DEMAND OUR RIGHTS.

WE HAVE FOUGHT FOR THEM.

WE HAVE DIED FOR THEM.

WE HAVE EARNED THEM.

WE DESERVE THEM.

THANK YOU.

SATURDAY 14 NOVEMBER 2008

Gay & Lesbian Community Center
maps.google.com

953 E Sahara Ave # B31
Las Vegas, NV 89104
(702) 733-9800


2PM!