Yesterday's election results certainly came as no surprise to me, but they distress me none the less.
For many who would have preferred a different outcome, I suppose this is one of the many swings of the pendulum, and they know it will eventually swing back their way.
It is harder for LGBT people.
This is the first president in a long time where we really believed there would be change. A President who we thought believed we should be full citizens. And we dared to hope.
Hope can be a devastating thing.
We have made certain advances in the past two years. At least talking about the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is on the agenda. The repeal of DOMA has been discussed. The courts, who have always been at the forefront of social change (i.e. Brown v Board of Education and Loving v Virginia) have acknowledged what we LGBT people have always known. We are subject to discriminatory treatment simply because some find us distastful.
And in the Foreign Service, we have seen a sea change. We have a Secretary who is an ally, who has already done everything within her power to address the inequities her employees face. Life in the Foreign Service is better than it was two years ago.
But my legal marriage is still not legal in the place I reside (we so need to move). We still lack the protections afforded to other families, even those who married in a drunken stupor in Vegas. Even those who have never devoted a minute to the service of our great country.
It has been said that African Americans who served in the military when they were still not treated equally kept faith with this country even when this country did not keep faith with them. This is exactly how I see my service.
And now I fear the small advances we have made will be taken away.
The Virginia governor shortly after being elected repealed employment protections for LGBT people. The Attorney General said that colleges must not have non-discrimination protections either. The advances we have made are few and fragile. And I am afraid.
But I am still serving, still trying to keep faith.
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5 comments:
It saddens me...I feel your distressed.
I wish you well, though I've been severely disappointed with this administration on a number of civil liberty fronts. The easiest solution to DADT would be to have the administration say that now that it's been found unconstitutional, policy will be changed accordingly. Instead, they've instructed their Justice Dept to keep fighting it tooth and nail. A simple, obvious solution ignored. Why? Can't fathom to guess. Not to mention their continued & constant use of the State Secrets act, support for rendition, everlasting GITMO and deciding they can assassinate Americans w/o due process. I fell in line with hope & change and got politics as usual. GAH, frustrating.
I'm sorry. It's not right at all. I admire your attitude of 'keeping your faith with your country.'
I think your comparison to African Americans serving in the military sums up how you HAVE to think of your service. But not for nothing, there are those of us who completely agree that is long since time that LGBT citizens deserve complete equality under U.S. law and it is for us (and our safety) that you serve as well. Keep the faith.
:-(
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