"The State of America is Straight" by dsc

(By the way, not to insult or anything, but isn't "DSC" what they used to put on the sides of street sweeper's dustbins?)

It's a nice article, but a tad overconfident. It is not going to be easy to get Bush out of office. It will take hard work from everyone.

It will be even harder for gays and lesbians to get the rights they want. First of all, they will have to come to a consensus about exactly what rights they want. I've heard some say they want official marriage, others say that they don't want to copy straight couples, still others saying that traditional marriage is unfair and a new system needs to be established.

It's unfair, but I'm afraid gays and lesbians will have to go through the same slow, agonizing process of demanding fairness that blacks and other minorities went through. Don't blame that unfairness on Republicans or right-wing groups, though. It's basic human nature. It takes a long time for people to recognize there's a human being underneath a label they've been told is wrong. Remember all those civil rights marchers in the early 60's whose signs simply said "I am a man?" That's the fight you have to win, and it's a battle for hearts and minds, not votes.

By the way, I'm straight (but not narrow). I only mention this in the vague, possibly futile hope of developing a relationship with a female that isn't based on a cash transaction.

Would describe me, too, I'd hope. You make a solid point, considering the way this country seems to prefer "making progress." Unfortunate, but very likely true.

Even so, I saw this when dsc posted it earlier, on a thread. Just splendiferous, I think. A Manifesto of Magnificence! REALLY impressively expressed. I printed out a copy. I know it's an uphill battle, but I'm still dearly and desperately hoping that the "we will fight you and we will win" winds up true, too. Especially the "we will win" part.