Gay Is The New Black: A Letter To The Editor

*This is a letter to the editor regarding the March 27th, 2014 OP/ED article*

You can have iced tea, but you can't have a cup. You can have ice cream, but you have to eat it with a fork. These sound ridiculous, but saying that one group owns a certain right and another does not sounds bad to me too.

Civil rights should not have limits. The idea behind the movement is that each individual on this planet deserves the same benefits and taxes. In the not so distant past, there have been a string of restrictions on access to many rights, such as water fountains, bathrooms, education, and marriage. Before I go into detail, notice I did not make reference to any particular race, belief, or orientation. This is because at one time or another, an given group of people have been subjected to restriction, segregation, and lack of representation.

During a lesson in my art class on propaganda, I make a point to show a clip from the movie The Pianist. If you haven't seen it, the movie portrays the struggle of a Jewish Pole during World War II. At the conclusion of the clip, I have my students look around to realize that not a single person in the room would have been safe from persecution by the Nazi movement. I may be of European Caucasian descent, but as a Freemason, free thinker, and (I consider myself) a better artist than Hitler, my rights would have been restricted and stripped just as any of the other millions at the time.

Nancy makes the analogy of comparing the recent battle of equal marriage rights to the civil rights movement of the 60's. I understand that she has gotten criticism for her comments. I would like to defend her words and support her statement. Although marriage is based in religion and tradition, there are non-secular rights and privileges. For instance, the IRS allows for tax breaks for those who are married that are not afforded to same sex partners. Also, certain insurance companies apply these same type of restrictions. Not too long ago, these same limits were applied to the box you checked under "race" on your application. I think Nancy is trying to say that one could draw similarities from both experiences, however, the recent group is not in any way better, more deserving, or unworthy.

I support Nancy and the Trailblazer's guts to publish such a story. As an educator, I appreciate that this article has caused discussion and reflection amongst its readers. As a human, I don't think anyone should be limited on their access to anything. Standing up for what you believe in is never and easy task, and I admire your courage.

Steven Soltysik 
Art Teacher/GSA Advisor
S-3
Academies of Education and Empowerment