On May 9, 2014 we saw what
no one had thought possible in Arkansas for many years yet to come….the
tangible first steps of marriage equality. In the time between the initial
ruling and the AR Supreme Court’s issued stay while the case is pending an appeal,
over 500 AR couples obtained legal marriage licenses. Many couples not only
were able to legally celebrate their love for one another, they were also able
to amend their children’s birth certificates allowing both parents to be
legally recognized as such. It was a heady and wonderful time to see this
series of events occurring that quite honestly, I could have never guessed at
or hoped for as a young dyke coming out in the early 1970’s.
This case is important
beyond the scope of couples wishing to marry. This case is now a historical
account of how we Arkansans just like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz have always
had the power!
Many scoffed at Cheryl
Maples when she filed this case almost on the heels of the Windsor case in the
United States Supreme Court that struck down Section 3 of the Defense of
Marriage Act. I personally felt that Arkansas was much further behind than the
other states in regard to marriage equality. I was wrong.
Cheryl Maples with her co-counsel
Jack Wagoner had no support financially or otherwise from any outside national
organizations, they all too believed that Cheryl and company were tilting at
windmills. They were wrong too!
And this is our lesson as Arkansans
- that together we can make the changes for the equality that we need, the
equality that by virtue of our birthright and our country’s constitution would
seem to demand. We are required to pay taxes to a state and country that does
not embrace, respect or include us in the access to equal rights and
protections the same way as our fellow Arkansans and Americans are
treated. This. Is. Wrong. Before we are
Arkansans, we are human beings, before we are our racial or ethnic group
identities, we are human beings, before we are men or women or agendered we are
human beings, before we are Americans we are human beings.
A lot has been made of the
term choice by those who oppose our equality, claiming that we chose to be
LGBTQ people. The reality is that the vast majority of the LGBTQ community do
not choose their sexual orientation or gender identity, it is simply who we
are, as inherent as our other biological traits, like the color of our eyes.
What is true however, is that the people who hurt LGBTQ people with
discriminatory laws and policies and those who go even further and physically
attack, maim and even murder us do in fact CHOOSE this behavior. No one is born
to hate, no one is born being homophobic or transphobic. Yet, from the pulpit
and the legislature we continue to be attacked, keeping our communities on the
defenseive trying to stop or undo these attacks. And while we may yet find
ourselves forced to play a little more defense, it is time to take a stand and
go on offense! To stand up and fight together for our rights!
Marriage equality is a
wonderful thing for the couples who desire this right. But there are a lot of
LGBTQ Arkansans for whom marriage is not an option; not old enough, haven’t met
the right one, don’t care to marry, etc. Additionally for those who do marry,
your marriage license does not protect you and your family in regard to
employment, housing or access to public accommodations. LGBTQ Arkansans are not
included in the state or national civil rights laws. Our LGBTQ youth in AR are
still experiencing bullying in their schools and too many times it is school
personnel who are doing the bullying.
We must also remember that
if you are LGBTQ and your identity intersects with poverty, being a person of
color, youth, immigrant, transgender, living with HIV, etc. then your struggle
as an LGBTQ person is further compounded with the systemic difficulties that
are associated with these identities.
The time is right now for
LGBTQ people and our allies to continue this momentum and to address these
inequalities. We. Ourselves. LGBTQ Arkansans and our amazing allies! We must
create the change we so desperately need to obtain full equality under the law.
At CAR we have been working
for some time with allies to build the relationships and the foundation to be a
part of moving forward for this very equality. As a founding member of the
Arkansans for Human and Civil Rights we have four priorities:
- Non-partisan electoral work
- Expanding the impact and efficacy of the Racial Profiling Task Force
- “Add the Words” campaign to amend the Arkansas Civil Rights law to include sexual orientation and gender identity
- Creating a Civil Rights Commission entity for Arkansas - We are one of only three states that do not have one
The “Add the Words” campaign
along with the creation of a civil rights commission not only has the potential
to provide the LGBTQ community with equal rights and protections, but our
efforts will support the many Arkansans who are currently included in the state’s
civil rights law little means to address the civil rights violations that they
encounter.
So I say to you gathered
here today and all across this beautiful state that I have come to call home, the
state that I love so much, where I live and raised a child. It is because of
this love that I ask of you all to remember, burn this into your hearts….It is
time! It is time! It is time! To….Stand up! Stand up! Stand up! Our rights will
not magically appear, we must stand up and refuse to take no for an answer.
It’s coming, the South is
moving. We witnessed a tremendous piece of history that was made here on May 9th,
Arkansas! The first Southern state to have a legal same sex marriage, quite a few of them in fact!
But! We are not done, we
have seen what is possible and we now know that NOTHING is impossible! To the
state of Arkansas and its good people, remember, we are your family, your
friends, your neighbors, your co-workers and more. We too! Are Arkansas! And we
are coming for our rights! Full equality! Nothing less!
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