As I sit at my dining table taking in the sweet fragrance of lilac blossom, thankful for the spring following the seemingly endless chilly procession known as a Montana Winter, I find my self still just a bit chilled – on the inside.
A discussion I had today with a co-worker regarding the Montana gubernatorial race soon turned personal around the issue of LGBT rights. Oh, it’s okay at work, as we worked out the heated exchange quickly. Nonetheless, like springtime in Montana, my inability to clearly articulate how I feel about democratic candidates ignoring LGBT issues, left me with a chilly sensation.
A couple of days ago, Andrew Sullivan wrote this in his blog, the Daily Dish: “And I was utterly unprepared for how psychologically transformative the moment would be. To have the president of the United States affirm my humanity—and the humanity of all gay Americans—was, unexpectedly, a watershed.” I think this quote sums up my position better than anything I could say or write. The converse, of course, in my view, is that the failure of the Montana Democratic Party and democratic candidates to follow the president’s lead is a missed opportunity to affirm my humanity – to affirm the humanity of all LGBT Montanans. That, I simply cannot abide. If a political candidate cannot affirm the humanity of LGBT people, indeed all people, than that candidate will not get my vote. Yea, though I may be a one-issue voter, that issue is Humanity.
Singed, Still Waiting for the LGBT Summer.