What is a Gay Patriot in Post-9/11 America?

There are issues that bind everyone in this country together. Whether gay, lesbian, transgendered, bisexual, or even straight, we understand all too well the horror of Tuesday, September 11th, 2001. A day that will live infinitely.

A military that has kept gays squarely outside its Pentagon has been attacked, and, notwithstanding Don't Ask, Don't Tell, we can be sure that gays were inside the Pentagon, and certainly gay civilians inside the Twin Towers, and, in all likelihood, on the planes that flew into these mighty buildings.

In premature senseless death, we are, ultimately, just like everyone else.

No other minority group is as prepared as our community to deal with the patriotic unification that grows out of tragedy. Unlike African Americans, unlike Jews, unlike any other group, we are both a minority and yet a diverse gathering of people. We are comprised of men, women, blacks, whites, Asians, Jews, Christians, Muslims, atheists, homosexuals, bisexuals, transgenders. We are military men and women, we are civilians. Our minority status grows out of the simple fact that we are not of the majority, that we are not straight.

We are different, we are diverse, and we are not straight. But we cannot lose sight of the fact that we are also Americans. Loved by some, hated by some, but Americans nonetheless. And we must stand behind America and the freedom that allows us to be different.

Our community is used to standing up defiantly against perceived wrongs. We come together to March on Washington, to celebrate our Pride around the country, and to mourn our dead. We must extend the pride we feel in being gay to a pride in being gay and American.

We must be wary of the very real risk of American turning against American, human being turning against human being.   Our community knows too well what it is to be unjustifiably picked on and all of us must ensure that freedom reigns for all people.