Fighting Irish
Dear Editor:
In a world increasingly wracked by violence and economic austerity, Ireland's vote for LGBT equal-marriage rights is a welcome achievement for freedom and equality. While no minority's rights should be held hostage to a popularity contest, it is nonetheless gratifying that overwhelmingly Catholic Ireland rejected the church hierarchy's bigotry and instead voted for equal rights.
In winning the world's first-ever national referendum on LGBT rights, our community should remember that we would not have won this victory without the solidarity of non-LGBTs. This should not only inspire gratitude on our part, but dedication to actively campaigning for the social and legal equality of all other oppressed peoples. As economic malaise grips many countries, we know that scapegoating of immigrants, racial and religious minorities can rise quite rapidly, and so we as LGBTs must respond with solidarity whenever any group's rights are threatened.
Also, while we rejoice in this huge victory, we would be foolish to think or act as though civil rights progress is inevitable. While today northwest Europe basks in the glow of yesterday's vote, in southeast Europe, proto-fascist parties and organizations have grown at alarming rates in recent years, with LGBTs second only to immigrants as targets of their violence. In the United States, our LGBT movement has grown alarmingly complacent after several years of back-to-back victories, and needs to be much more involved in the #blacklivesmatter protests against police violence, the campaigns for economic equality, immigrant rights and other justice-related struggles.
While many well-meaning people have predicted an "inevitable" win for equal-marriage rights in this spring's Supreme Court decisions, a careful reading of the recent oral arguments before the Court shows the vote will likely be close, and could very well go against us.
So while we rejoice in the victory in Ireland, we know that civil rights progress doesn't magically fall from the sky, but requires activism. As the great anti-slavery activist Frederick Douglass put it, "Without struggle, there is no progress."
Andy Thayer
Co-founder,
Gay Liberation Network
Ireland and the Church
Dear Editor:
Ireland has become, for many, an example of the many faults of the Roman Catholic Church. Its trending mentality show us that a focus on archaic dogmatic belief, with its accompany focuses on obedience and not reason, shows us that the Church has become totally irrelevant in today's Western world. So if you were paying attention to the Church's relevance in Irish modern society, its support of same-sex marriage was a foregone conclusion.
The Irish vote also shows us how important our allies are. The LGBT Irish population is rather small: however, when you add supportive parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents and so many other straight allies we become the majority. Yes even courageous clergy who would not go along with the Church's opposition to Gay Marriage sparkled in this vote.
If the Church is realistic, it will not turn its back on the need for true reform. While the Rainbow Sash Movement's focus is on the need of the Church to be more inclusive and less dogmatic not only in Ireland but in the rest of the Western Hemisphere, change is the lifeline.
We understand that women have really bore the brunt of the Church's backward thinking and this situation can no longer be tolerated, either in the pews or in the leadership of the Church..
We call for the leadership of the Church to focus less on hierarchal authority and more on Jesus Christ's gospel value of love.
Certainly, the teaching authority of the Church must be drawn into question if this is not the case. Such authority is useless if it is not based in the authority of the "Keys to Kingdom" to change and update our Catholic views.
The Irish-related challenge for the Church is to either engage in conversation with the world—and its own lay population—or to become a cult..
The Irish vote should challenge us in the U.S. Church to further engage in open on honest dialogue when it comes to our values. Those values should be relevant to the people the Church claims to serve.
The challenge now for the international Rainbow Sash Movement is to challenge blind loyalty, as that is the surest road to cultism.
U.S. LGBT Catholics can no longer allow the Church's homophobia and sexism to go unchallenged. They should be challenged by justice and compassion. The time for change is now.
Rainbow Sash Movement
Remembering Bill
Dear Editor:
In 1961, the State of Illinois adopted the criminal code that in effect legalized homosexuality at a time when a large cohort of baby boomers were about to enter their teenage years.
Starting in the 1960s, young men and women arrived in Chicago from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa, Indiana and Michigan expecting to express themselves freely in a Midwestern community that would accept their chosen lifestyle.
Gay businesses flourished in Chicago, and institutions were formed for gay people to help their own like Gay Horizons ( for counselling ) and Howard Brown ( for health ).
But at a time when it was still a bit uncertain whether lawyers who were openly gay would be allowed to practice law in Illinois, William B. Kelley emerged as an activist advocating forcefully and effectively for his brothers and sisters. He had a demeanor and the legal credentials that commanded respect from other lawyers and judges. His great skill was expressing in the written word what needed to be said.
Aristotle said that happiness consists of actualizing your full potential. In that sense, William B. Kelley lived a happy life. What a wonderful thing to be said about any person.
The ancients admired as heroes people with exceptional athletic or military prowess. Among the many heroes our community has produced since 1961, William Kelley stands out as a hero, who we can all admire for effecting change. Chicago is a richer place for the freedoms and equality he helped win for LGBT people. We owe him our undying praise.
Edward Mogul, Esq.
Chicago
