As we’ve seen so many times in history, once that spirit takes hold there is little that can stand in its way. (Applause.) And the riots at Stonewall gave way to protests, and protests gave way to a movement, and the movement gave way to a transformation that continues to this day. It continues when a partner fights for her right to sit at the hospital bedside of a woman she loves. It continues when a teenager is called a name for being different and says, “So what if I am?” It continues in your work and in your activism, in your fight to freely live your lives to the fullest.
In one year after the protests, a few hundred gays and lesbians and their supporters gathered at the Stonewall Inn to lead a historic march for equality. But when they reached Central Park, the few hundred that began the march had swelled to 5,000. Something had changed, and it would never change back.
The truth is when these folks protested at Stonewall 40 years ago no one could have imagined that you — or, for that matter, I — (laughter) — would be standing here today. (Applause.) So we are all witnesses to monumental changes in this country. That should give us hope, but we cannot rest. We must continue to do our part to make progress — step by step, law by law, mind by changing mind. And I want you to know that in this task I will not only be your friend, I will continue to be an ally and a champion and a President who fights with you and for you.
Remarks by President Obama at LGBT Pride Month Reception Tuesday, Jun 30 2009
philosophical maunderings 8:10 pm
Sometimes a monarchy is a good thing Saturday, Jun 13 2009
philosophical maunderings 7:52 pm
Naturally, running a country by the “divine right of kings” is a bit crap. But there are some times when having an entity outside the political realm that represents the concept of the nation is a great thing.
Honors are the best example: while it’s nice and all for a President to pin a medal on the chest of a wounded soldier, there’s the slight issue that the man doing the pinning may have been the person who decided that the soldier would be in harm’s way. Having a monarch is a good solution for this: prime ministers, presidents and politicians can start the war, and the king or queen can stand as the embodiment of the nation in expressing gratitude and appreciation to the people who got caught in the mess.
And then there are the non-military honors. Who wouldn’t get behind some national token of esteem for Capt. Chester Sullenberger, the US Airways pilot who crash-landed his airplane in a river without killing anyone? When Capt. Eric Moody safely landed a 747 after all four engines failed, he was awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air (a reasonable assessment, given that 247 people found themselves in an unpowered airliner at 37000…)
But todays point (ta-da!):
Today, it was announced that Alan Cumming, “Actor, Producer and Presenter”, has been made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, “for service to film, theatre and the arts and to activism for equal rights for the gay and lesbian commty, USA.”.
Alan Cumming, OBE. Sounds about right.
Or maybe Nightcrawler, OBE for thems who likes that sort of thing…
M
