Let us never forget that we stand on the shoulders of giants. Frank Kameny's efforts to fight for Gay Rights throughout his long life means we all owe him a debt of gratitude. Yes, Gay is Good!
Watch my tribute video: Happy Pride!
Showing posts with label Gay Rights. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gay Rights. Show all posts
Monday, June 28, 2021
Friday, October 2, 2015
An Open Letter to Pope Francis on Gay Marriage
“In the resurrection they neither marry nor are
given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.” – Christ Jesus
Dear Pope Francis:
As a baptized and loving Catholic I have worked to thread
my Catholic upbringing into daily living as I have sought to lead a life
with integrity, dignity, and personal success as a natural gay man created by
God as Gay. I have a wonderful loving
husband named Robert who, although not Catholic (I’m working on it), loves God
with such profundity that it was one of the reasons I married him.
My often difficult but blessed personal journey has
occurred while at the same time, throughout the advanced world we all have witnessed,
as part of each generation’s spiritual revelation, a deeper understanding of same-sex
attraction within the human race, as well as the animal kingdom. And are not animals in their simplistic innocent creatures of God? If same sex attraction was not natural,
why did God instill it in a small percentage of his lessor creation?
I, and others like me, seek to demonstrate that values
such as wholesome living, honor, love and fidelity can be lived while having a
spouse of the same-sex. Millions of us seek to live a life in Christ. As with all people, this walk is often a
challenge, but made unnecessarily difficult by unloving, uniformed, or less
spiritually developed forces which attack and demonize Gay people.
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| My Husband and me after the US Supreme ruled that our marriage, our devotion and love for each other, was equal to every other married couple in America. This picture was the lead photo on the Huffington Post's website and was picked up all over the world |
And, we as LGBT Catholics have an additional cross
put upon our shoulders by our own church. Many of us turn in despair to anti-spiritual fronts, often exemplified
by popular culture which often elevates and glorifies baser ways of living, which
many do know, through often tragic personal experience, leads to a spiritual dead end--yet even as this “front” has offered us refuge when the Church has turned against us!
Indeed, this is a challenge calling for great gifts
of discernment.
I too have a concern for the “family”, Pope Francis,
which I agree can be greatly healed by individuals committing to living lives
far more focused on self-less love, and service. Please pray to understand,
though, that physical expressions, depending upon body parts, DO NOT, Pope
Francis, change “fundamental relationships” that you expressed concern about in
the marriage covenant. Rather sexuality,
including Gay sexuality, is truly a mysterious wonder which according to God’s
plan, when property used, can lead to a deeper, richer life in every way.
With our natural sexuality intact we can develop
towards a deeper life in Christ. Many
things threaten all types of family life today, I agree: a culture which too often
degrades or ridicules wholesome values, rather than the transformational power
of love for another. Or others: worldwide economic pressures, self-centeredness,
declining discipline, delaying gratification, a changing socialization which
focuses on short-term versus long-term goals, and many many other
challenges.
This ostracized community of Gay people, especially middle-age elders, can actually offer tremendous insight into how to counter
these corrosive visions within the flock. Holy Father, you can seize this opportunity and actually help by understanding
and speaking compassionately about our rightful place within the body of
Christ!
You can speak forth that our dreams too reflect the dream that Martin Luther King Jr. had that men and women should be judged by the content of their character, and people who are LGBT should not in any way be discriminated within the public realm, and this must be clearly stated in federal law, and throughout the world.
Your Holiness you are actually in concert with
another fellow Catholic, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Kennedy. Yes, in removing the splinter from the
Church’s eye, you may see symmetry, mathematical beauty. You reiterated the importance, above all, of
the richness and the beauty of family life, likewise through the movement of
the Holy Spirit, Justice Kennedy affirmed in his ruling regarding marriage
equality that no union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the
highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, and sacrifice, and FAMILY. In forming a marital union two people
(regardless of body parts which soon enough turn to dust) become something greater
than they once were.
You can speak forth that our dreams too reflect the dream that Martin Luther King Jr. had that men and women should be judged by the content of their character, and people who are LGBT should not in any way be discriminated within the public realm, and this must be clearly stated in federal law, and throughout the world.
Marriage embodies a love that may endure even beyond
death. It would misunderstand these men
and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. We in the LGBT community respect it so much
that we want to be part of it, find fulfillment in it for themselves and proclaim its great value to others.
The loving and equal affirmation of LGBT people, Holy
Father, is human dignity. It is this generation’s spiritual revelation, that I
deeply pray every night that your will ultimately proclaim during your
Papacy.
I know in this life I will never meet with you, Holy Father, to sit down together and share in the spirit of Christ's Love, but in heaven when all is clearly seen, I pray we will see eye-to-eye as brothers of the faith in the most holy council of Our Lord.
I know in this life I will never meet with you, Holy Father, to sit down together and share in the spirit of Christ's Love, but in heaven when all is clearly seen, I pray we will see eye-to-eye as brothers of the faith in the most holy council of Our Lord.
I’d like to end this letter with another mention of
my husband. Holy Father you took the name of my most admired saint. Fifteen
years ago when I showed Robert, the film Brother Son, Sister Moon by Franco
Zeffirelli’s he cried. Two weeks before your ascendancy to the Throne of Saint
Peter, Robert told a friend, who had hardened their heart toward our one true and
Apostolic Church, they should watch the film because “Saint Francis of Assisi
was what being a Christian and Catholic means…”
With Great Love in Christ Our Savior,
Thomas Eugene Fulton,
Washington, DC
Washington, DC
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Our Marriage is Now Equal and The Whole World Knows It!
By Robert Hudson Westover
My husband and I knew something incredibly unusual for us was unfolding after the Marriage Equality ruling was handed down last Friday by the Supreme Court. We were there, outside the imposing white marble facade of America's most iconic building of Justice with the words carved in marble above it's giant bronze doors: Equal Justice Under Law.
The general consensus was that a ruling wasn't supposed to be handed down until Monday, June 29, or the high court's last day in session for the year. This is how the other landmark Gay Rights rulings had been handled in the past (see my previous blog post on the End of DOMA ruling in 2013).
But I had a premonition that it would happen on Friday and told Tom we needed to get to the Court in the morning, before 10 AM (the time that rulings for the day are handed down). Fortunately, we both work walking distance from the Supreme Court, so we rendezvoused at about 15 minutes before the rulings of the day would be announced.
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| Tom and I ten minutes before the Marriage Equality Ruling. |
Would I be right?
Our hearts beat rapidly in anticipation as we hoped and prayed that for the first time in our lives, the statement Equal Justice would be met out in its totality. Would this day bring us unfathomable joy by changing our lives forever and making our marriage, our love, truly equal under the law? Or would it be yet another half measure of dignity handed out to us like ravaged prisoners hoping for the full pardon that would someday open our cell doors and free us--forever--from the jail house of second class citizenship?
We knew this ruling was going to change the lives of millions...Tom and I just two of those millions.
And when that crowd shouted out LOVE HAS WON! we jumped for joy, broke into tears and just held each other.
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| A picture taken of US by CBS News moments after the ruling. |
It took 15 years to get Equal Justice in our marriage.
Many, many more years for many others.
Many, many more years for many others.
"What do you think of the swiftness of the change?" One reporter asked us. Tom replied "Swiftness? It's been over 50 years since WE started our fight for equality. It hasn't come fast enough... We love you Justice Kennedy!"
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| "Kiss your husband!" a reporter asked, so I did! |
And then many other reporters started asking us questions, taking our picture and filming us. This had happened the last time a great barrier of bigotry had fallen: DOMA. In fact, the reporters were asking lots of us, lots of questions. We were more than thrilled to respond. Maybe some young person, struggling under the weight of oppression might hear our story and be inspired to love themselves, feel sorry for their persecutors and look forward to a life in a community of kindred hearts.
But, to our amazement, that day, our ripple in the pond of outreach was beyond anything we could have imagined. We knew this when a text arrived from a friend we hadn't heard from in ages telling us to look at CBS New's Twitter page. There we were, in full embrace--our devotion and love--for all the world to see.
And the world did see, read and hear from us! On six continents!
And the world did see, read and hear from us! On six continents!
As the day unfolded, and into the night, the texts and Facebook messages kept coming: Saw you in the Huffington Post! One friend wrote from LA. Then the PBS News Hour reporter who had interview us texted to tell us we'd be featured at the top of the hour as the Network's lead story.
Three days later and we're still blown away. Think of how many millions of LGBTQ folks have seen that, "Yes, it does get better."
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| From the Huffington Post. |
But, sometimes, like what happened for us, the spotlight turns and there you are. As Christians we believe that God does work in mysterious ways. We don't always understand it, but all things can (and often do) work together for those who have faith. So many words and expressions are timeless and this quote from Psalms really says it for us--for what happened on that momentous day "This is the Lord's work and it is marvelous in our eyes..."
***
Below are links to some of the worldwide media coverage our voice received.
***
Below are links to some of the worldwide media coverage our voice received.
North
America:
Lead
story PBS News Hour
Yahoo
News
The
Huffington Post
CBS
News Twitter
International
Pick Up
South
America:
Africa:
Australia:
Asia:
Middle
East:
Europe:
http://www.newsjs.com/us/its-reason-to-live-here/Friday, June 26, 2015
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Death of DOMA Day!
By Robert Hudson Westover
Added June 26, 2014 on the one year anniversary of Death of DOMA day:
One year ago today, the day the U.S. Supreme
Court struck down DOMA (or most of it). Tom and I were waiting outside the
white marble court house edifice with thousands of others. Two reporters
published some of what we had to say. Our quotes were picked up in media
outlets around the world that day.
- "Being openly gay in America has been a very huge challenge. You're still seeing discrimination and obstafication within the cultures of corporate America. You can see it's starting to change with young people... It's very different now for young people, how they interact with you. It's not really changed with folks who are our age.""It's very exciting, rewarding. It's been a long journey""Young people hopefully (won't face discrimination). It will be much more of a normative environment.""I remember... when my gayness was as bad as a bad perfume. This is all stuff that I've lived through.""I'm going to be able to be on my husband's health care plan in terms of health care benefits. That's huge.”- Tom Fulton, 55, Public Affairs, D.C.Posted by Margarita Noriega (Reuters) 6/26/2013 4:54:54 PM June 26, 2013 at 12:54 PM
- "We now have federal rights. I burst out into tears when this decision..." trails off, choked up"The United States is the most powerful nation on earth. The last time the most powerful nation in the world allowed gays to not be persecuted was Rome. Fifteen hundred years. Think about that. Fifteen hundred years of oppression... This is a dramatic change in the history of the world and it can't be understated.""We first got married in West Hollywood about 12 years ago. It was the only city in the entire country at the time that allowed gay marriage... We attempted to get married in Massachusetts... but they didn't have reciprocity so we couldn't get married because we lived in the District. So we went and got married in the District. That's our journey."
- Robert Westover, 49, Public Affairs, D.C., married to Fulton in 2001
The original posting from last year:
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| My Flag Waving Hero! |
What a difference 27 years makes!
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| Tom and me right after the ruling on DOMA |
But what about those four losers Jackass Justices?
I don't know where to begin, so I'll focus on the one Jackass Justice I have actually met. And by doing so would like to point out the cowardice and particular narrow mindedness of this man, The Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, John Roberts.
Two years ago Tom and I attended an intimate Christmas concert at the Dunbarton Church in Georgetown. The Chief Justice and his family sat directly in front of us in the small edifice.
During intermission Tom approached Mr. Roberts, and with the audacity of a man oppressed by men like Robert's his entire life said, "I really hope that when a case on Gay rights reaches your court that you won't vote against my rights as a equal citizen of this country..."
You could have heard a pin drop.
Unfortunately, but predictably, this misguided man of letters did exactly as expected and has now joined those on the wrong side of history--think Dred Scott, Mr. Roberts (et al).
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| Tom being interviewed by the world press after the death of DOMA!!! |
You are my hero!
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