Last night in class we watched “Before Stonewall”. It was about the GLBTQ struggle before that fateful night in 1969 at the Stonewall Inn in NYC. It shows what it was like to be Gay/Lesbian in the early parts of American history, during the great depression and WWII. It is a story about my people. It is a story about equality and fairness. It is about the fact that even today; we are dealing with many of the same issues as then. Women’s rights, gender equality and a nation that still discriminates on many levels are still relevant.
I don’t suppose I was surprised that several of my fellow students just couldn’t relate. Many people these days are used to and expect instant gratification. Many take for granted that they can just go down to the courthouse and get married and be accorded instant benefits from the first moments of the union. Benefits include survivorship if one partner precedes the other, tax filing, and many others. Many of my fellow students never had/have to worry about being arrested, losing work or being beaten/killed for who they are. Many have never faced discrimination of any type.
I was not even surprised that some other students were so disrespectful to not watch the presentation, but glue their noses into their phones and/or other devices in order to text, surf or whatever. I know this because my peripheral vision was assaulted by flashes of light in the dimly lit room. Really, we can’t do without touching base with the outside world for the small amount of time we are in class?
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