Bayard Rustin (at the grand intersection of gays, blacks, hatred and progress)
just like many of my close friends (especially here on LJ), lately i have been stewing over the recent developments in the gay community's struggle for equality under the law and how it relates to the struggle of blacks in america. after nosing around a bit, i came upon a man named Bayard Rustin. now, in the interest of full disclosure, this is my first exposure to the man and his legacy...so an expert i am clearly not. however, the little i've read so far is truly blowing my hair back. not only was Rustin at ground zero in the civil rights movement of the 1960's (he was one of MLK's earliest and most trusted advisors, largely credited with instilling in MLK the dedication to the principles of non-violent resistance as put into practice by Gandhi...plus, he was the main organizer of the 1963 March on Washington). and on top of that, he was also an openly gay man who fought for the rights of gays and lesbians, and as a result he was demonized and marginalized by a large part the black community which he had served so tirelessly. and, on an entirely personal note, he was born and raised in the Philadelphia suburbs...in West Chester, PA. it came to my attention that they recently produced a film about his life -- BROTHER OUTSIDER: THE LIFE OF BAYARD RUSTIN. i totally want to get my hands on a copy. has anyone seen it?
a quote from Mr. Rustin, who seems like he certainly qualified as an expert:
"The barometer of where one is on human rights questions is no longer the black community, it's the gay community. Because it is the community which is most easily mistreated."
a quote from Mr. Rustin, who seems like he certainly qualified as an expert:
"The barometer of where one is on human rights questions is no longer the black community, it's the gay community. Because it is the community which is most easily mistreated."