Yes, we are a nuisance
March 25, 2007 | 12:00am
At a Holocaust memorial I once visited were inscribed the words: "Never shall we forget the indifference of people who made so much human suffering possible."
It is in this spirit that I, a private and apolitical citizen, feel compelled to write this letter to protest the declaration of Danton Remoto, a representative of the gay, lesbian and bisexual community, as a "nuisance" candidate in the upcoming congressional elections, while proclaiming the candidacies of so many lesser qualified individuals as valid.
The quote above refers, of course, to the Jewish Holocaust, but we, as a community, have suffered the same fate, through AIDS, which now affects mostly women, children and the poor who have no access to proper medication.
Yes, no one cared while it was only our community that was being decimated because we were a "nuisance." And now it affects communities who are equally marginalized and powerless. Was that Christian?
And yet, what have we done? We have colored your lives. We, as a community, have contributed so much to the arts, music, film, theater, fashion, to make life worthwhile, to make it beautiful; to make you laugh and cry, to act as your conscience. We fill a special role in the community, because we have nothing to lose; for many of us, we are not motivated by greed because we have no one to whom we can legally pass on any wealth. And thus, many of us have served society in any small way we could.
I will not even begin to enumerate the grand names in art, literature, theater, film, music, history, business, who belong to our community and have made a huge difference in this world. We have fought for freedom because our survival depends on it. We know how it feels to be oppressed.
And yes, we are a nuisance.
One does not even have to think grand, because many of us are just very humble people, but I dare you to look back and think: Was there perhaps a gay teacher who taught you how to add? Who cured you so that you may be well? And yes, who arranged flowers to bring a smile to your face? We are everywhere; we are your brothers, your sisters, your neighbors, your friends.
We do not ask for special treatment; we simply ask for dignity, respect and equal rights. I am reminded of a quote from Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, which goes: "Once you have taken everything from a man, you have lost all power over him; you have set him free."
And so, by denying this right of representation to us as a community, have you set us free. I call on all of my brethren, to protest this injustice in any way you can, and never again to allow or make possible so much unnecessary human suffering.
It is in this spirit that I, a private and apolitical citizen, feel compelled to write this letter to protest the declaration of Danton Remoto, a representative of the gay, lesbian and bisexual community, as a "nuisance" candidate in the upcoming congressional elections, while proclaiming the candidacies of so many lesser qualified individuals as valid.
The quote above refers, of course, to the Jewish Holocaust, but we, as a community, have suffered the same fate, through AIDS, which now affects mostly women, children and the poor who have no access to proper medication.
Yes, no one cared while it was only our community that was being decimated because we were a "nuisance." And now it affects communities who are equally marginalized and powerless. Was that Christian?
And yet, what have we done? We have colored your lives. We, as a community, have contributed so much to the arts, music, film, theater, fashion, to make life worthwhile, to make it beautiful; to make you laugh and cry, to act as your conscience. We fill a special role in the community, because we have nothing to lose; for many of us, we are not motivated by greed because we have no one to whom we can legally pass on any wealth. And thus, many of us have served society in any small way we could.
I will not even begin to enumerate the grand names in art, literature, theater, film, music, history, business, who belong to our community and have made a huge difference in this world. We have fought for freedom because our survival depends on it. We know how it feels to be oppressed.
And yes, we are a nuisance.
One does not even have to think grand, because many of us are just very humble people, but I dare you to look back and think: Was there perhaps a gay teacher who taught you how to add? Who cured you so that you may be well? And yes, who arranged flowers to bring a smile to your face? We are everywhere; we are your brothers, your sisters, your neighbors, your friends.
We do not ask for special treatment; we simply ask for dignity, respect and equal rights. I am reminded of a quote from Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, which goes: "Once you have taken everything from a man, you have lost all power over him; you have set him free."
And so, by denying this right of representation to us as a community, have you set us free. I call on all of my brethren, to protest this injustice in any way you can, and never again to allow or make possible so much unnecessary human suffering.
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