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Many in the LGBT community feel that the last election expressed the "backlash" of American society against the progress of the gay rights movement. We beg to differ. Read what Martin Luther King, Jr. had to say on the subject in relation to the black civil rights movement. He stated, “There is really no white backlash, because that gives the impression that the nation had decided it was going to solve this problem and then there was a step back because of development in the civil rights movement. Now, the fact is that America has been backlashing on the civil rights question for centuries now.… The backlash is merely the surfacing of prejudices, of hostilities, of hatreds and fears that already existed and they are just now starting to open.”
In actuality, 2004 was a year of great accomplishment in the battle for LGBT civil rights. We achieved things that once seemed impossible. This includes the 'legal' marriage of more than 4,000 couples in Massachusetts. A successful national lobbying campaign gained enough votes in Congress to defeat the Federal Marriage Amendment. Plus, important decisions in the courts furthered our rights under the U. S. Constitution.
Our society has moved towards equality only when challenged. A "backlash" isn’t a reaction, it is the expression of resentments, misunderstandings and yes, hate that already exist just under the surface. Battles over civil rights are never easy, but throughout our nation’s history, these battles have resulted in the expansion of equality to people who had previously been denied them. So, take heart that our struggle will be won! We need but continue the fight.
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PLANET PATRIOT
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