The Struggle For Gay Rights is a Struggle for the Rights of All

The fact is that most victims of such crimes--gay, straight, black, white, Hispanic, male or female--aren't lucky enough to live to tell about it. Matthew Shepard wasn't, but for whatever reason, I was. After nearly three years of struggling with what happened to me and the reasons it did, I thought this important week in the struggle for rights--not just for gays, but for all humankind--presented the perfect opportunity to share my own story of a severe violation of those rights. That violation was based in large part on the perceptions of two attackers who chose only to see me for what they assumed I was because of the place I was in. That's all it took for me to become a target, my actual sexual orientation notwithstanding.

As a result of most states' stance on gay rights, hate crimes will continue to invade our society like a cancer, as will the lingering perception that those who look, talk, walk or speak differently don't deserve to live under the same protections that many of us take for granted. Frighteningly, the chance that you will experience an incident similar to or more tragic than the one I survived is a fact of your life and the lives of your children and loved ones. If nothing else, think about that this week, then decide if the struggle for basic human rights for all is worthwhile.

[via Michael]