Three gays who changed the world (and for whom Sept was important) [View all]

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On Sept 10, 2009 Alan Turning (who had been dead for decades) received an apology for having been convicted of homosexuality. Turing was one of the most important people in the fact that the UK survived WW2. Despite that fact, and the fact that he invented computer science, he was faced with prison for being gay (a former sexual partner burgled his place and then told the police they were sexual partners) and instead chose chemical castration. He then killed himself (maybe with an apple hence the logo). He was only 41. Without Turing, the UK may have been starved to submission by U Boats and other elements of the German navy.

On Sept 22, 1975 Oliver Simple decided to go for a walk and saw a crown in front of the St Francis Hotel in San Francisco. He was told that President Ford would be exiting and he decided to stay to see the President. In front of him was Sara Jane Moore, who was there to shoot Ford. After she got off one shot that was errant and was preparing to make another he knocked the gun off course and she missed Ford with her second shot. Ford may well have survived that assassination attempt solely due to the actions of Sipple. Sipple was outed nationally in the days following and his family, except for one brother, disowned him. He couldn't even go to his own mother's funeral. He died at age 47 of alcoholism.

On Sept 11, 2001 Mark Bingham was on flight 93 which was headed to Washington DC when it was hijacked and turned on the Capital.
A group of passengers, which was led by him and others, stormed the cockpit and caused the plane to crash in Shanksville PA instead of the Capital saving many members of our government. He, and all the rest of the passengers all died that day so he didn't live to see the stunning ingratitude of a Congress and President who tried to make it so he and no other gay people could marry the people of their choice. He also didn't live to see the SCOTUS affirm the right of marriage equality for same sex couples. By all accounts Bingham's family loved him and supported his living his life openly and honestly.

Clearly society treated Bingham better than those that came before him. But we still have some work to do. I was watching Big Brother last night (spoiler but not of the game)
















and the players got a surprise video from their families or all but one did. JC, who is gay, only had a friend. You could see the sadness in his eyes and in the confessional room he explained that his family doesn't have a relationship with him due to his being gay. It still happens more often than it should.

We really have come pretty far. I am not all that old and remember Oliver Sipple. I remembered him as I got older and knew that I was gay and that even if you save the President being gay was enough to make you a non person if you weren't careful. My uncle, born in 1934 and openly gay in high school was in grade school as Turing was breaking the Enigma. By all accounts my uncle was a genius but he also was mentally ill and fought a losing fight against addiction. I am now a full decade older than he was when he died.

I live in a state where it was illegal for gay people to have sex as recently as 2003. We, just over six years ago, passed by more than 3 to 1, a constitutional amendment which banned not only marriage, but any kind of recognition, for same sex relationships. What I wonder is if this relatively short period will be as fleeting as the racial progress in the south during reconstruction was or if we will build on it. Only time will tell.

Trump has ushered in a dark age for all kinds of people, not just LGBT, but I have noticed some difference. I have some stickers on my car that are related to gay rights. I worry a little. But those stickers aren't going anywhere. I am in a gay chorus that gave more than a little thought in recent years to getting rid of the gay in our name. Not anymore. I don't know what the future will bring. I don't think the end of Trump will necessarily be the end of the dark age he has helped bring about. But I do see signs of hope.

This year's elections have shown signs of progress. In addition to two incumbent statewide officials running for reelection (Gov. Brown of Oregon (bisexual) and Sen. Baldwin of Wisconsin (lesbian)), we have at least two more statewide candidates who are in races that are rated toss up (Simena for Senate of Arizona (bisexual) and Polis for Governor of Colorado (gay)). We also have two nominees for swing House seats Sharice Davids in KS 3 (bisexual) and Chris Pappas NH 1 (gay). If they all win, while not exactly likely but not out of the question by any means, we would go from 2 to 6 state wide elected officials and hold even in the house (two have given up house seats to run for other races). It would be a huge leap forward.

On a personal note, my school will be having the first gay straight alliance in my district this year. It took a long time to get approval but the student got it. So on a small level I will be on the front lines of progress. I don't pretend to know what the future holds.