As promised from a previous post, a rant about Katherine Miller. She appeared on ESPN’s Outside the Lines Sunday morning program last week.
This is not so much aimed at Ms. Miller, but more at one of the ideas that she expressed.
It was not my LGBT Advocate side, but rather my Veteran side that was very vocal and livid when this story broke back in August because here was someone who would have been a great addition to our armed services and she was kicked out because of the asinine policy of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The only thing that Ms. Miller is guilty of is adhering to the West Point Honor Code: “A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.”
And instead…
Silence
This silence is from someone I know who has a relative at West Point. This person’s relative would have benefited from the leadership displayed by Ms. Miller. Instead…
Silence
Sitting on the sidelines is not going to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” or repeal Proposition 8 in California or any other anti-LGBT policies that are in place. Here is someone who has access to help the LGBT community, and instead…
Silence
I know people, including myself who have FEWER resources at their disposal than this person and YET… YET these people have done SO much more. The people I know come from all kinds of backgrounds and have many reasons on why they wouldn’t get involved:
1. Work
2. Monetary reasons
3. Scholastic reasons
4. I have a family/small children
5. I don’t know where to begin
6. Fear
7. Other (age, disabled, etc.)
I refuse to remain silent because inaction is equivalent to compliance to the discriminatory policies of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” Defense of Marriage Act, Texas Prop 2 (2005), California Prop 8 (2008), etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera….
I do not think I would enjoy being told that just because of who you happen to be you cannot: marry your partner, serve in the military, adopt children, have knowledge that you COULD be fired from your job, or if heaven forbid something catastrophic was to happen and your partner could not visit you in the hospital.
I doubt I would enjoy second class citizen status. I would like to know how it feels to be viewed as less than a person in the eyes of the law.
This person has talked about going to another state and marrying their partner there. I am betting that this person is unaware of the loophole that it can happen here in Texas.
Yes, a LEGALLY recognized same-sex marriage took place in Texas and I bet that this person was unaware of it. Instead…
Silence
Actually… it’s kind of funny… I was (and probably still am) this person’s source of LGBT information and I am terminally heterosexual. Again, me, I have no stake in this but I have people that not only I care about, but I RESPECT.
This person was completely unaware oblivious of the potential Prop 8 ruling until it happened, but to my knowledge did not partake in any rally of Judge Walker’s favorable ruling.
If you want to get married SO badly and you truly love that person, prove it.
Fight for it.
Fight for it here in Texas.
I know, a crazy concept, challenging the status quo.
A lot of crazy things have happened when people challenged the status quo. Just to name a few things: Expansion of voting rights, socialized medicine, public libraries, establishment of decent working conditions, grants to attend college, the GI Bill, Brown v. Board of Education (1954)…
Sec. 32: MARRIAGE
(a) Marriage in this state shall consist only of the union of one man and one woman.
(b) This state or a political subdivision of this state may not create or recognize any legal status identical or similar to marriage.
It would be great practice for your partner who is a law school student at an area university. Get the chance to be involved in something that would matter and mean something to the both of you.
You want to talk about meaning?
THIS has meaning.
THIS has meaning.
Even though she has left the physical world, Mewsette STILL has meaning.
This person chooses to benefit off those who have made sacrifices and in return this person offers this in return:
Silence
I have asked people involved in the LGBT community about this person. They have never heard of this person. Why does this person refuse to get involved in something that should matter to them? I figured that the Katherine Miller story might light a fire under their ass because it indirectly impacted someone they know and care so much about. This person was in tears when their relative left for West Point. Instead…
Silence
I actually feel bad for this person. I considered this person a good friend. I would expect my friends to hold me accountable if I was not living up to my potential. I strongly believe that this person is not living up to their potential. Because this person is not living up to their potential, I am disappointed in them.
This person is missing out on some great things that I am working on and participating in. This person overreacted when I was truthful. I appreciated this person’s honesty when the person shared something with me, and I expected the same in return.
This person called me “selfish”, “socially awkward”, and suddenly was not pleased with my use of a certain word that starts with “F” and ends in “uck.”
No… not FIRETRUCK… the OTHER F-word.
I admit I have been known to use rather colorful language to express my emotions, but that symbolizes passion. As most of you know, I have a lot of passion and I am not ashamed to show it.
This person would have benefited from participating in Dallas Pride 2010 with my friend Stacey and me. Instead, it was more important to this individual to watch their favorite football team on television.
I am a die-hard Cowboys fan (maybe not so much with the way their season is going). I passed up a football game to march in the Dallas Pride Parade and participate in collecting signatures to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” This was on a September day in Dallas. It was 95F. Someone I know passed out from the heat.
Yet, despite the heat and it being NFL Season 2010: Week 2, there was still a great turnout.
Again… this is coming from SOMEONE (me) who watches the NFL rather RELIGIOUSLY. I know who plays who every season. I have the complete regular season schedule downloaded to my computer. I have a link to what games are going to be shown in which parts of the country. I regularly post my picks in this blog.
I passed up to watch football on a Sunday to participate in a Gay Pride Parade.
You know what? Even though it was hot, I had a lot of fun.
But most importantly, it was important to people like Stacey Langley, Kit O’Connell, John McClelland, Isidro Gonzales, and the many others that I have respect for because they respect me for my willingness to stand up for them and not offer this:
Silence
I skipped the review for my computer programming exam to participate in a panel involving school administrators in Denton. I gave definitions, explanations, and backed up my fellow panel members. I did it because being there was very important to Dr. Edra Bogle. She used to teach at UNT, your alma mater, back when it was North Texas State U. I have a lot of respect for her, and I knew being a part of the presentation would be important to her.
Oh… and that computer programming exam: I got an 86 on it.
I have been asked by the President of the TexasTech Gay-Straight Alliance to give a speech at a rally she is organizing for ALL our veterans at Fort Hood on Veterans Day in my capacity as the Texas Young Democrats Veterans/Military Affairs Caucus Chair. I accepted the invite.
Are these the actions of a selfish and/or a socially awkward person?
I ask this person these questions:
How many letters have you written asking as many of our members of Congress to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell?” (First letter, Second letter)
Have you participated in any panels/discussions/presentations?
What have you sacrificed in order to make things better for those in the LGBT Community? Honestly, is marrying your partner in another state really enough? Why NOT fight for your rights in Texas?
I think I already know the answer…
Silence
If you are this person, don’t stand for silence.
Do what Katherine Miller did and still does today: Stand for something.
