It was a totally great day. As I've said, these events are unique in their own way with a certain energy about them. If my enthusiasm is low when I come, which it seldom is, these days always charge me up.
I met my friends Pastor Mike and Sister Katherine from The Church of The Painted Sky in Lumberton, NC. They joined our Carolina TLGB Christians online group the week it was formed. Their messages and prayers have meant a lot to us.
You always run into friends you haven't seen in a while. I met my dear friends Rachael, Victoria and her dear wife, Susan (Sunshine). Victoria and Susan will move home to Canada soon, but will aways be my friends. They have left a legacy in North Carolina with Durham Gender Alliance, which is growing weekly.
I had not planned to march in the parade, but I linked up with new friends from The United Church of Chapel Hill, NC. They are part United Church of Christ, so it was like coming home to friends I was meeting for the first time. They were so nice, they gave me one of their t-shirts. It was cool they were at the beginning of the parade. I got goose bumps as we marched along with crowds five people deep in some places waving and cheering. The parade itself was a half mile long. The march was a couple miles through downtown Durham.
As always, there was a block long row of protestors. I always enjoy looking them in the eye and giving them a word of encouragement. Mostly I don't get a friendly look back.
This takes me to the title of this post. I have uploaded a bunch of photos from the event. You can see them here. In photo #24, the banners say "Break the Cycle of Silence, Discrimination and Injustice by Living Your Truth". That one statement sums up the day. Pride = Dignity.
It will never cease to amaze me that people have a hard time accepting what they do not understand. There were people this weekend who did not completely get me, or perhaps I do not understand them. Yet, when you walk into the venue, you feel like you've come home.
This is why Elke Kennedy must fight for justice and tolerance. She lost her son only because of who he was. How many times in our day to day lives do we judge others or give only a tacit acceptance to others who are different from our perception of normal? Do we have to completely understand each other to accept each other?
The answer is, no we do not. This is one reason hatred exists within the LGBT community towards what they perceive as 'the church'. A protester yesterday held a sign that said, "You deserve hell". See photo #42. I have seen hatred before. I don't think I've seen it sink that low until yesterday. (You can click on the photos to enlarge)
We hear people ask why someone would choose such a lifestyle. Would anyone actually make a conscious decision to live a life in which they would be forced to hide who they are for a lifetime for fear of losing family, home, friends or career?
It is true the LGB community does not always 'get' the transgender segment and often vice versa, but this is the one thing we do have in common......the reality of the possibility of being stereotyped, marginalized and ostracized.....or subjected to violence only because of who we are.
Jenny Boylan said the one thing we have in common with the gay community is we get beaten up by the same people. There is certainly a grain of truth in that, but I think it goes much deeper. The Transgender of Day of Remembrance will be held November 20th. As long as the cycle of ignorance breeding fear, which breeds hatred which breeds violence exists, there will always be a need for a day of remembrance.
There will never be a shortage of hurting people to encourage one at a time, nor a shortage of causes for which to stand up. Nothing is more important.
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