HomoQuotable – Dan Savage

“Before I say anything else—before I say what I dragged myself out of bed to say—let me say this: we did this.
LGBT people came out, fought back, and changed the world. There’s a
fuck of a lot left to do—repealing DOMA, passing ENDA, completing the
repeal of DADT (trans people are still barred from serving in the
military), fighting for the rights of queers around the world—but LGBT
people have come so far since Stonewall due to our own efforts and
sacrifice. It has gotten better for us because we fought to make it
better. We demanded better.

“Now here’s what I want to say: I know so many straight people in
Seattle who worked unbelievably hard to approve R-74. They gave money,
they volunteered their time, they reached out to friends and relatives
and coworkers, all in an effort to make it possible for same-sex couples
to marry. Gays and lesbians are a tiny percentage of the population. We
couldn’t do this on our own. A majority of the legislators who voted
for same-sex marriage? Straight. The governor who signed the law making
same-sex marriage legal in Washington state? Straight. The majority of
the folks manning the phone banks for R-74? Straight. The overwhelming
majority of people who voted to approve R-74? Straight. The president
who took a huge political risk and came out for marriage equality before
his reelection campaign? Straight. It has gotten better for us—better,
not perfect—but it hasn’t gotten better for us in a vacuum. It’s gotten
better for us because straight people have gotten better about us.” – Dan Savage, writing for Slog.