Open letters from 26 gay men and lesbians.
Photo courtesy of Soulforce
Dear President Obama,
Right now I am on a bus in the South, proudly seated in the front. I am leading 15 of my peers on a journey called the Soulforce Q Equality Ride. For five weeks we have been traveling to academic institutions in order to champion diversity; in particular, folks who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer. Interestingly, most of our advocacy comes in the form of conversations with religious believers who “disagree” with homosexuality and gender variance on the basis of doctrine.
Through such dialogue I have realized with astounding clarity that our fundamental difference is usually not a matter of belief. Rather, it is how we embody and understand common principles. And essential to closing that divide is the monumental task of establishing community, which requires that we heal ourselves and build relationships with those on the other side. Likewise, with your ascension comes a similar challenge. You must be patient and physician, representative and leader. Albeit to a much lesser degree, I am beginning to understand that dichotomy.
Lately I have been feeling increasingly more apolitical. That sentiment, however, is rooted in idealism, not apathy. I am a person of faith, and I dream of living in a land wherein the laws of government reflect the values of society. I am a person of color, and I wish to see an end to both systematic oppression and the personal prejudice that sustains it. I am a gay man, and I want my humanity and worth to be written into the intellectual constitution of my fellow citizens. I am a young person poised to inherit this world, and I want change. And by change I mean responsible betterment.
I do not envy your position, nor would I claim to have all the answers. Even still, to speak for the whole of our nation, you must hear the smallest voices. With that, here is all I ask. As you oversee the faithful execution of law, it is my appeal that you not put policy above people. As you yourself challenge the prescriptions of history, I challenge you to set progressive precedents for future generations. Before you make new rules, question the validity of those that already exist. In your aim to conserve the words of the Founding Fathers, please be willing to apply them to the lives of your children and mine. Finally, as you uphold the canons of leadership, have the courage to author new chapters and the integrity to erase unjust conclusions. Only then will all be able to trust in power and have a passion for democracy.
Warmly,
Jarrett Lucas
Codirector of the 2008 Soulforce Q Equality Ride
More Letters to the President-elect:
Tammy Baldwin, Democratic member of Congress from Wisconsin
Daniel Tammet, author of Born on a Blue Day
Evan Wolfson, Executive director of Freedom to Marry and author of Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality, and Gay People’s Right to Marry
Joe Solmonese, President of the Human Rights Campaign
Melissa Etheridge, singer-songwriter
Michelangelo Signorile, radio host and author of Queer in America
Tammy Bruce, radio talk-show host and author of The New American Revolution
Kenji Yoshino, professor at New York University School of Law and the author of Covering: The Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights
Vestal McIntyre, author of You Are Not the One and the forthcoming Lake Overturn
Jarrett Lucas, codirector of the 2008 Soulface Q Equality Ride
Michael Lowenthal, author of Charity Girl and Avoidance
Suzanne Westenhoefer, comedian and star of the documentary A Bottom on Top
Jim Buzinski, CEO and cofounder of Outsports.com
Perez Hilton, blogger, radio host, and television personality
Carole Midgen, former California state senator
Pam Spaulding, Durham, N.C.-based blogger
Paris Barclay, Executive Producer/Director HBO’s In Treatment
Lorri L. Jean, CEO, Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center
Jeffrey Prang, Mayor of West Hollywood
Jorge Valencia, Executive director and CEO of Point Foundation
Mark Leno, California assemblyman
The Reverend Doctor Troy D. Perry, founder and moderator emeritus, Metropolitan Community Churches\
Mara Keisling, Executive Director, National Center for Transgender Equality
Donna Rose, transgender activist
Peter Tatchell, LGBT human rights campaigner and spokesman for OutRage!
Rachel B. Tiven, Executive Director, Immigration Equality
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