Eye on Equality
By Kerry Lobel, Executive Director
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
WASHINGTON, DC---May 12, 1998---- Eye on Equality is a monthly column
that discusses or gives commentary on national and state-level
political events or provides a behind-the-scenes look a social movements
and trends.
"A Future To Celebrate"
Last week, my partner Mary and I had dinner with Del Martin and Phyllis
Lyon. Both Del and I share the sign of Taurus. Each year, I mark my
birthday by recalling how long Phyllis and Del have been partners. They
have been together the entire 45 years Iıve been alive.
I've known them for more than twenty-five years. And at two key points
in my life, they provided the tools I needed to create a life. As a young
woman of 19, their book "Lesbian/Woman" changed my life. Tired of digging
in scientific and religious journals that described homosexuals as sick
or sinner, the publication of their book in 1972 was a breath of fresh
air. By then they had been partners for almost twenty years, and had
traveled many lesbian roads. Their book gave me the hope that I could
have a life, connected with other lesbians. And, they taught me that
along with my sisters, I should not expect only tolerance, but rather
demand liberation.
Their lives have been framed by many movements, chief among them, the
feminist movement. They understood early on that by making coalitions
for social justice, we would not only bring our lesbian selves forward,
but the rest of society as a whole.
And they've been unafraid to tackle the tough issues. Their book
"Battered Wives" changed the ways in which our country addressed woman
abuse. When I edited "Naming the Violence: Speaking Out About Lesbian
Battering" Del was quick to offer her advice and support. While some were
afraid to talk about abuse in our community, she knew that our community
could only be strengthened by this honest discussion.
Just as Phyllis and Del have helped us navigate our 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s,
and 60s, they are also helping lead us through our issues as old gay men,
lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people. They served as participants
in the White House Conference on Aging and led workshops at a recent
SAGE conference on aging issues. When NGLTF was challenged on issues
related to ageism, Del and Phyllis, as well as Shevy Healey and Ruth
Silver from Old Lesbians Organized for Change, trained our staff and
demanded more visibility at NGLTFıs Creating Change conference.
A recent stop of our families tour in Providence, Rhode Island, reminded
us that no discussion of family issues is complete without the recognition
that our gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered family is comprised of
individuals from each generation. Issues related to schools, parenting,
and children are only one part of our life cycle. Issues related to Medicaid,
social security, health care and social services are another.
As our colleagues at SAGE remind us, in the worldıs eye, the GLBT community
appears to lack a family of all ages, and in the imagination of many of us,
there is no future beyond age 40. Seniors are nearly invisible in the GLBT
community, shunned to the detriment of us all.
In our work, as diligently as we work for the lives and well-being of young
people we must address the needs of seniors. We must challenge bias in the
healthcare system, demand fair treatment in mainstream senior housing,
work toward building our own senior housing, challenge the invisibility in
the greater LGBT community, and ultimately bring seniors into our communityıs
family portrait, so that the world knows us as a family of all ages with a
future to celebrate.
Founded in 1973, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force works to eliminate prejudice, violence and injustice against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people at the local, state and national level. As part of a broader social justice movement for freedom, justice and equality, NGLTF is creating a world that respects and celebrates the diversity of human expression and identity where all people may fully participate in society.
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