Visibility

[drewan]

A thought just came to my head as I was reading about the same-sex couples and their families that will be attending the annual White House easter Egg Roll next Monday.

In the article they mention that the families will be distinguished by rainbow leis. "Family Pride on its Web sites says gay family participations is not a protest. "This is a celebration of our families," it says. "We want to give our fellow citizens the opportunity to see us as real families...""

I really like this silent expression of the existence of same sex parents and their families.

While it has worked in our favor through out history, allowing us to avoid wide spread extermination in more conservative times, our ability to blend into the general society means that we can be ignored if we do not call attention to ourselves. Our sexual/affectional preferences do not automatically make themselves visible on our skin or general appearance.

That is why I choose to have a rainbow flag on my car, or wear a pink triangle on my jacket, or display a HRC equals symbol in by work cube. I'm not rubbing anyones face in my sexuality. Just as it is no business of mine what others do in private, they have no business in my life either. I am simply refusing to be invisible.