Visibility

Visibility

As we continue to fight for our civil rights. The right to marry the right to adopt, equal employment protection for all and, census inclusion. Visibility is key. People need to know who we are. I understand what a struggle it can be to come out to those around you. Some of those people will stand right with you others will walk away. Here is the thing if you do not make yourself visible, then who you are not visible. If we want our civil rights, we have to be visible. We cannot hide in our closets and expect change to happen.

We all need to get involved and fight for our rights and we cannot do this anonymously. If we stand up together, show who we are and get those around us to see who we are then we can make that human connection. When we make that human connection, it is difficult for those we make that connection with to see us as invisible.

We need to get those who believe we do not deserve these rights because of religion to see that this is not a religious issue but a civil issue.

Those who feel we should not adopt need to see that a loving home is a loving home whether there are two moms’ two dads or a mom and dad.

Those who feel we should not marry because marriage is a religious right need to see that it is first and foremost a civil right and that love is love.

We need to be counted we need to be part of the American census report. We need our employers to see us whether we are gay, lesbian or, transgender. We all need to be counted.

Equal protections under the laws that govern America are being denied us and what are we doing about it? Are we letting those who are already visible get the message out or are we making ourselves visible, making ourselves heard, being counted?

We cannot rely on others to get our message out we must put it out there ourselves. When we do not participate in those things that impact our lives, we cannot expect our lives to be impacted the way we want them to impact our lives.

If we remain invisible, we stay invisible until we decide to make ourselves visible. There is no flying under the radar with civil rights. Flying under the radar keeps us invisible.

Get out there make yourself visible. Participate and fight for the civil rights you deserve.

Stop feeling that you do not deserve these civil rights because that is self-hatred. Stop saying I will never have children so adoption rights do not matter. Stop saying I have no desire to get married so marriage equality does not matter to me.

We should never say to ourselves it is not our concern. It is always our concern. If we stop making our civil rights our concern then we say to everyone we do not matter, you can walk over all over me.

We need to make our voice heard our strength felt, our faces visible and, our civil rights guaranteed.