Originally appeared Sept. 26, 2001, in the Chicago Free Press.
MOST OF US WHO ARE gay or lesbian Americans wish our nation well in trying to disable and eliminate the terrorist networks responsible for the Sept 11 attacks. Not only are we Americans as much as gays and lesbians, but that effort will directly benefit us.
The fundamentalist terrorists are hostile not just to America's basic institutions of personal freedom, individualism and tolerance, they are especially hostile to the variety of lives those values allow. Specifically, they view homosexuality and tolerance of it as prime examples of Western irreligion and cultural decadence.
So too in the U.S. Some Arab cab drivers have told me they like working Chicago's Halsted St. gay bar strip because "the money is good and gays don't cause problems." But they say some conservative Muslim drivers keep away from Halsted because they want to avoid contact with homosexuals. (Note to those cab drivers: You can do this in America; It's a free country.)
Despite widespread calls for national unity, however, gays and lesbians still have the unfinished project of achieving full social acceptance, so it seems neither wise nor necessary to suspend our own advocacy efforts.
But we need to consider how best to shape our strategy and articulate our goals in the altered political climate. For one thing, in the presence of a threat that affects us all, it seems prudent to avoid any suggestion of divisiveness or sectarian partisanship.
The perils of conspicuous partisanship and agenda-mongering in the present climate quickly became obvious when Rev. Jerry Falwell publicly blamed gays, abortion advocates, civil libertarians, and secularists for helping the terrorist attack happen.
Falwell was stunned to find himself denounced, even vilified, by almost everyone-in newspapers, on television, at the office water cooler. Even President Bush said he disagreed with Falwell, an unprecedented presidential condemnation of a prominent religious figure's religious views.
We can use three related approaches in promoting our goals without being accused of untimely partisanship:
- Emphasize our commonality with all Americans;
- Emphasize that some of us also sustained losses in the terrorist attacks;
- Emphasize our desire to make a positive contribution and our (sometimes untapped) capacity to do so.
Here are a few specific examples.
1. We can collect and publicize stories of the gays and lesbians who were killed and injured in the attacks, so we can show Americans that gays are everywhere, working jobs and living their lives along with other victims.
2. We can point to specific cases of same-sex couples one of whose partners was killed in the attacks. We can point out that married partners are allowed automatic inheritance, taxation, and Social Security benefits, while the gay and lesbian partners are not. That may help Americans see that different outcomes from equal devastation is unfair.
3. We must publicize the stories of gays and lesbians who made contributions during and after the attacks. The story of Mark Bingham who may have helped fight terrorists aboard the flight that crashed in Pennsylvania is now well known.
But there are doubtless stories of others who helped - and will help in the future, for there will likely be more attacks: The story of the gay policemen, the gay firefighters, the gays and lesbians who helped rescue people, who fought terrorists or who warned about them.
4. Gays and lesbians who feel moved to join the military could try to enlist at the local recruiting office, taking along a photographer from the mainstream press to publicize their desire to contribute.
If, as expected, the military issues a "stop-loss" order permitting the retention of avowed gays, we need to point out that supposed concerns about "unit cohesion" prove to have no significance at a time of mobilization, when you would think they would be most important for military effectiveness.
5. Gay men are not permitted to donate blood, but lesbians can. Every lesbian group might consider inviting its members to donate blood as a group: lesbian singing groups, lesbian police officers, cancer projects, social clubs, softball and volleyball teams. Take along a photographer from a mainstream newspaper: Remember the aim is to get publicity for helping.
6. Al-Fatiha, the national gay and lesbian Muslim group, has an unprecedented opportunity to recruit new members and promote itself among moderate Muslims by vigorously condemning terrorism and publicizing passages from the Koran and Muslim tradition urging peace, tolerance, and civility.
7. Many bars and businesses in gay enclaves are displaying American flags. We should draw attention to this spontaneous display of patriotism so Americans can see we have the same feelings they do. Next June we could remember to include American flags along with rainbow flags during Gay Pride parades.
8. Finally, this is an unparalleled opportunity for gays and lesbians to step forward and respond to fundamentalist terrorists by explaining and defending the values of personal freedom, individualism and tolerance that are the foundation of our own existence as a people and a community.
By doing this in the public sphere - and this is the whole purpose - we present ourselves to our fellow citizens as paradigmatic Americans to whom they might well be grateful for rising to the defense of American principles they believe deeply but too often inchoately.