This is NOT Stonewall 2.0 - This is Our Life!

There have been several posts on several blogs that are calling the fight for gay marriage “Stonewall 2.0”. As you may, or may not know, Stonewall refers to a series of random demonstrations and riots which were held in protest to police raids that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969 at the Stonewall Inn, located in the Greenwich Village section of New York. The riots are commonly known as the first instance in American history when the gay and lesbian community fought back against a government-sponsored system that persecuted homosexuals. Prior to the Stonewall riots, it was illegal for “homosexuals” to congregate, and often times when they did, they were subject to physical abuse and even arrest. Stonewall has since become the defining event that marked the start of the modern gay rights movement.

Here is where I beg to differ in use of the term. This is NOT Stonewall 2.0, this is a revolution. Whereas back in 1969 the GLBT community was fighting for the very right to exist without enduring physical abuse and jail sentences, we have now evolved to become a recognized part of the population who have a statistically higher rate of education and more buying power than our heterosexual adversaries, and we also have gained a great deal of political influence, recognized as a voting power, and having GLBT community members who serve in various political post at all levels of government.

The issues we are facing now are light years apart from the days when it was illegal to congregate, and we don’t need random riots to beg for tolerance. We need complete acceptance. We need to be recognized as equal citizens. This isn’t about gay rights, this is about human right, more than that, its about doing what’s right for all citizens.

We as a community have come a long way, but we still have a long way to go. Again, this is not Stonewall 2.0. We are not simply fighting against being able to have a cocktail without going to jail, we are fighting to gain equality. This isn’t only about gay marriage, we are fighting to once and for all put and end to the hate and discrimination. We are fighting for our right to maintain a family. We are fighting to be. If we loose this fight, we will never gain equality and we will never be able to live our lives as full and complete citizens.
Let’s not reduce this to “Stonewall 2.0”. Take this for what it is. This is our future. This is our life!