Time to Reset Our Revolution

The idea of presenting
an omnibus bill that would address every instance of inequality
under the law would allow us to reset our movement and reset
the debate. When I talk to friends, family, and strangers, I
inevitably get into a conversation about being gay and what it
means to me. Perhaps it is a part of my personal effort to come
out at every opportunity that drives this discussion, but it
has given me an informal poll on what average people can
support.

Almost without
exception, they feel that LGBT people should basically be
treated the same as any other person under the law. I
would venture a guess that a poll question asking something
similar would receive a large majority of support.

Accordingly, we should
not continue to engage in petty debates set and framed by our
staunchest opponents. Let's think big and reset the debate on
our own terms. Making it about being treated equally under the
law is simple. It's easy to understand by average Americans,
the media, and politicians.

Just imagine a
congressional hearing on legislation meant to right every
instance of inequity that currently exists in the law for LGBT
people. Instead of right-wing nutcase Elaine Donnelly talking
about gays destroying troop cohesiveness, we might actually
have a discussion about the promise of our Constitution to all
of our citizens.

Perhaps we could help
our politicians remember that it is in the best tradition of
our nation to make people equal. We've worked at perfecting the
idea throughout the history of our nation. It's never been
easy, but it's always been the right thing to do. At every step
along the way, our collective conscience has looked back on
those moments with tremendous pride.

This is one of those
moments. If we are to make our fellow citizens, our elected
officials, and the media understand it, we have to start acting
like it. That's why we have to think big and act like the
future of our nation depends on it.