"What do We Want"

When do we want it?
What a day yesterday-it was absolutely beautiful as I arrived with my new friend Kyle up at Volunteer Park long before the masses starting getting there. I wanted to see how this would take shape. As I walk around watching a handful of dedicated people helping set up I couldn't help drifting back to the first time I went to San Fransisco-god I hadn't even come out yet-I was barely 20. I want to
say it was January 1984-for some reason I always thought it had something to do with Dan While- now for those of you don't know who Dan White was here is the link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_White
ah this guy was truly a nut case so to speak...
Anyway here I was going to San Fransisco for the first time and there were pissed off queers everywhere...it was amazing...nothing like the riots that had happened a couple of years before that-but none the less still amazing to be around...now granted it took another 6 months for me to truly come out but I am forever grateful for that experience. And until yesterday I had forgotten what it was like to want to be a part of such an important part of history. So many young people out yesterday how incredible. In 1981 when I graduated from high school I didn't even know what the word queer, dyke or fag meant. Times have changed. It would have never even occurred to me that I too could maybe get married to my partner one of these days. First I have to get one but that's not really the point. As I tried to tell my friend today,who really doesn't understand the whole marriage thing- if I married a guy here in Washington then moved to Florida the marriage would be recognized, but if I married my girlfriend here in Washington (not that you can-yet) that it would not would be recognized in the state of Florida or for that most of the rest of the country. I don't think it is so much about the word "marriage", as it is to just be able to have the same cival rights. And really isn't that what we all want.