Change is gonna come…

The imminent repeal of DADT, or “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, brings about a myriad of emotions for many people, including the Man and myself.  As with millions of other gay and lesbian Americans across this nation, there are no plans for descending upon the local recruiting offices in our best attire to sign up with Uncle Sam.  It goes much deeper than that for those of us who have been hanging on every article, every video, and the slew of hate filled sound bites that have come out of Washington. Our nation’s elected leaders, who look to the donations of special interest groups to line their own pockets and further their political careers, have for years denied gays and lesbians the right to serve our country openly and with pride.  As a group, we have been forced to choose between our love of country and who we were born to be.  Lives were risked, both on the battle front and on the streets of our communities, all in the name of freedom and equality. While the repeal of this law certainly does not equal the fall of the Berlin Wall, it does show cracks in the mindset of many Americans who can see that new winds are blowing, and it’s blowing their way.   In 1964, Sam Cooke wrote and released one his greatest songs called “A Change is Gonna Come”, and in it he sings “It’s been a long, a long time coming…But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will…”. Although that song was about racial equality in America at the time, the message within rings true today. There will always be those that continue to spread hatred towards gays and lesbians in the name of God, just as there are still people who think that African Americans should  be sitting in the back of the bus.  Over time, the latter have found that yes, even though it is their right to have their opinion, fewer and fewer people actually pay any attention to the hatred that taints their words.  The same will happen for those that oppose equality in all areas of life for gays and lesbians everywhere.  They will hold their rallies, wave their signs, and pass the offering plate to raise money to wage the war, but in the end, the result will be the same. Time will move on, and changes…well…they are coming…