There was a Project post thread I commented on in which reader KevinChi asked one person the question, what does 'winning our equality' mean to you?It was a great question, so I posted a response to it. I took a look at it when I was done and decided it would be a great base for a post on the issue.
So here goes. What does 'winning our equality' mean to me?
To me 'winning our equality' means GLBT rights that are codified into federal law with severe financial penalties or jail time for violations of them.
It means to me full integration of TBLG peeps into society with a constitutional ban on using referendums to take away people's civil rights.It means to me the senseless murders of trans people being prosecuted to the full extent of the law. If hate crimes statutes are applicable, then prosecutors do so without hesitation.
It means our police departments realize that 'protect and serve the public' includes transpeople as well.
It means GLBT people being able to serve in our nation's military without fear of being discharged because someone discovers they have a same gender lover or they are trans.
It means to me that people are able to marry (or divorce) the person they love without drama or restrictions.
It means me and my transpeeps having a fair shot at getting and keeping good jobs that we are qualified for, and that any employment decisions made are based on performance criteria.It means that I get non-judgmental medical care with health care personnel living up to the Hippocratic Oath they took.
It means that politicians listen to my concerns as a taxpaying citizen, act upon them, and quit using transpeople as a political football or a bogeyman to scare up campaign contributions for the conservative movement.
It means me having the same opportunity to pursue the life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness the Declaration of Independence promised to all American citizens.
And finally it means the fundies keep their false conservareligious doctrine out of my life, national, state and local politics, and the lives of GLBT people.
Such a simple concept, but maddeningly hard to achieve.
