Barack Obama, former, fabulous, president, responding to Akkai Padmashali, a transgender activist who runs the LGBTQ advocacy organization Ondede, who asked how she could make a difference in an anti-transgender world—specifically India’s Section 377, a law criminalizing homosexual acts that was reinstated in 2013:
“I think the answer is, it begins with what you just did, which is to find your voice and be able to articulate your views and your experiences, and tell your story. And that’s true of any group that is marginalized, stigmatized. Finding that voice, and being able to tell a story so that the perceptions somehow that you are different are broken down, because they start seeing their experiences in you. They see your humanity. Once that voice is there, hopefully others join you. So now you have networks, and organizations, and allies. And then, once that happens, it’s a matter of applying political pressure and being able to mobilize public opinion. Now, there is just an open acknowledgement, even among many conservative parties, that we should not be discriminating against persons because of sexual orientation. And that happened, in respect to human history, amazingly quickly. Now, in the span of one person’s lifetime, that can seem painfully long. But it requires a steady education of the public, and then a political strategy that puts pressure on elected officials, and that’s going to take some time.”
I miss him.
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You're right; it is sad that Al Franken leave the Senate but he stepped over boundaries that no man (or woman) should without invitation from their target. Now let's see the Repubs follow suit.
ReplyDeleteI miss a REAL LEADER in the white house...
ReplyDeleteI agree with Anne Marie. Sooooo miss him.
ReplyDeleteGloria Estefan, a true patriot and a magnificent singer!
ReplyDeleteYou broke my heart, Franken!
ReplyDeleteWhat the Professor said.
ReplyDeleteYeah same here, to the professor's comment.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with you on the Franken bit, demonstrating great moral ethics by resigning, he makes the swinehund in the White House look simply repulsive.
ReplyDeleteWhen this is all over, Shep is the only one over there who isn't going to have to be pretending he wasn't drinking the Kool-Aid from the start.
ReplyDelete...Or else the rest of them will go to the graves still insisting that their guy was the victim of a massive conspiracy by the deep state.
Oh, I'm so depressed again. I think I need to pay another visit to Mistress Maddie's housboys.
ReplyDelete