31Jan/06Off
RIP, Coretta Scott King
I’m sorry I didn’t mention this earlier. RIP, Coretta Scott King. At the risk of sounding totally disrespectful, coincidentally, last night the geekboy and I watched the MLK episode of The Boondocks, and we spent some time discussing the premise of the ep – what if Dr. King hadn’t died that day? The show gave us the worst-case scenario (Dr. King gives up on America and moves to Canada to get away from the ignant), but it certainly was food for thought.

January 31st, 2006 - 14:49
And by the way, if you want to see the episode, here it is. I don’t have to tell you that it’s totally NSFW language, right?
January 31st, 2006 - 15:07
I know everything isn’t about the queers, but she was a vocal supporter of GLBT folks and I think she should be lauded for that, too. Over at towleroad he has a few pertinent quotes from her. Freakgirl, I hope it’s ok if I copy some here.
“I still hear people say that I should not be talking about the rights of lesbian and gay people and I should stick to the issue of racial justice. But I hasten to remind them that Martin Luther King Jr. said, ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.’ I appeal to everyone who believes in Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream to make room at the table of brother- and sisterhood for lesbian and gay people.” — March 30, 1998
“Homophobia is like racism and anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry in that it seeks to dehumanize a large group of people, to deny their humanity, their dignity and personhood. This sets the stage for further repression and violence that spread all too easily to victimize the next minority group.” — at the 25th Anniversary Luncheon for the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, April 1, 1998.
“For many years now, I have been an outspoken supporter of civil and human rights for gay and lesbian people. Gays and lesbians stood up for civil rights in Montgomery, Selma, in Albany, Ga. and St. Augustine, Fla., and many other campaigns of the Civil Rights Movement. Many of these courageous men and women were fighting for my freedom at a time when they could find few voices for their own, and I salute their contributions.” — at the 25th Anniversary Luncheon for the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, April 1, 1998.
“Gay and lesbian people have families, and their families should have legal protection, whether by marriage or civil union. A constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages is a form of gay bashing and it would do nothing at all to protect traditional marriages.”
“We have a lot more work to do in our common struggle against bigotry and discrimination. I say “common struggle†because I believe very strongly that all forms of bigotry and discrimination are equally wrong and should be opposed by right-thinking Americans everywhere. Freedom from discrimination based on sexual orientation is surely a fundamental human right in any great democracy, as much as freedom from racial, religious, gender, or ethnic discrimination.” — November 9, 2000
January 31st, 2006 - 15:33
Thank you for sharing those quotes, Michael. I’d never read them before.
February 2nd, 2006 - 02:20
thank you Michael