People who
struggle for LGBT equality always want to know what civil
rights leader will be the Martin Luther King Jr. for our
cause. But the question contains its own answer.
Satre is a junior at Notre Dame Academy, a private
Catholic high school in Middleburg, Va., and the
founder of the Virginia LGBT activist group
Equality Fauquier-Culpeper. He writes regular journal
entries for The Advocate.
Over the past
year, during which my career as a gay rights activist has
taken root, I have been asked one question dozens of times.
This is a question nearly every gay rights activist in
this country (and in other parts of the world) has
been asked at least once:
“Who will
be the Martin Luther King Jr. for gay people?”
The
question’s answer is inside the question itself.
There is no one human soul who could better speak for
and represent the LGBT community and effectively
advocate for equal rights in America than Martin Luther
King Jr.
This man is not
just a hero for civil rights for the black community; he
is a hero for the civil rights of every person in America.
He became one of America’s most beloved
leaders. He peacefully and effectively created social
and political change beyond his lifetime. He has led black
citizens toward equality alongside some of the finest and
first civil rights leaders, and he continues to lead
LGBT people the same way he did black people in the
late 1950s and ’60s.
This man raised a
legion through grassroots advocacy throughout the
country, working in conjunction with civil rights activists
and organizations around the nation and forcing
America to pay attention. He inspired generations of
activists and political leaders to in turn inspire
others, including myself, to live equal and stand equal.
Even today this man is very much alive.
There is no
question as to who is the Martin Luther King Jr. for the gay
rights movement: There is absolutely no doubt when it comes
to answering that question with the famous name
already cited. We do not need to search or wait for
the ingenious individual who will prompt the gay
community to gather under one banner to champion equality.
His name we
already know. He already has a statue in the nation’s
capital. He has already met with numerous politicians,
including a past president. He has already delivered
memorable speeches. He has set an intricate and
steadfast course for social change in the country. He has
touched the lives of millions and charted an unavoidable
course in history.
“Who will
be the Martin Luther King Jr. for gay people?” Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. is already that illustrious
exemplar for the LGBT family.
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You can contact Satre at tully@tullysatre.com
or via his MySpace page at myspace.com/whitedeosil.