LGBT Equality: The Best and Worst of 2009

2009 was a topsy-turvy year for LGBT rights supporters, marked with a mix of hard-fought victories and bitter defeats. Here is a summary of the best and the worst this year had to offer:

The Best of 2009

Congress Passes the Hate Crimes Prevention Act

Formally known as the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, the law expands existing Hate Crimes legislation to cover crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. The bill was first introduced to the House of Representatives in April, 2001, and finally signed into law by President Obama on October 28th, 2009 as part of the 2010 Defense Bill.

Right wing opponents portrayed the bill as one that would somehow inhibit free speech and infringe upon the rights of 'people of faith'. The fact is that the Federal Hate Crimes Law has been in force since 1969 and is specific to violent crimes and actions, not free speech. This act was simply extending protections beyond race and religion to other groups who have been victimized. According to FBI Hate Crime Statistics, sexual identity ranks closely behind religion as the third most common class of hate crimes in the United States.

If not for the heroic efforts of Judy Shepard, this bill would not have come to pass. Since the death of her son more than ten years ago, she has fought tirelessly to raise awareness, change perceptions, and influence legislation.

Judy Shepard - I'm so sorry for the tragic loss of your son, and am deeply moved by and thankful for your courage to do something about it. I can't imagine where the LGBT equality movement would be without your passion and commitment. You are a true inspiration.

Same-Sex Marriage Triumphs Around the US and the World

At the start of 2009 only two states in the US, Massachusetts and Connecticut, permitted same-sex marriage. Over the course of the year, three more states followed suit - as did our nation's capital - while two more states added domestic partnership language.

Here is a quick run-down of who did what in the US:

• Iowa Supreme Court Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage (4/3/09)


• Vermont Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage - overriding Governor veto (4/7/09)


• New Hampshire Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage (6/3/09)


• Wisconsin Recognizes Domestic Partnerships (6/29/2009)


• Washington State Passes "Everything But Marriage Law" (12/3/2009)


• Washington DC City Council Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage (12/18/09)

The US wasn't the only country who stepped forward on the same-sex marriage front. Here are some notable victories from around the world:

• Sweden Legalizes Gay Marriage (4/1/2009)


• Mexico City Legalizes Gay Marriage (12/21/2009)


• Argentina Holds first Gay Marriage (12/28/2009)

National Equality March Draws Approximately 250,000

On October 11, 2009, a sea of humanity engulfed the grounds of the United States Capitol in Washington DC, carrying a resounding message to Congress: We demand equal rights for all LGBT Americans.

Skeptics said we wouldn't come. We did. Antagonists said that the LGBT community was too fractured and apathetic to summon a true identity, let alone speak with a unified voice. They were wrong. We were one, and we spoke with conviction and power. As was said many times throughout the orations, we are on the right side of history and we will persist until this battle is won.

Thanks to the leadership and vision of Cleve Jones, along with contributions from LGBT activists across the country, this event was a phenomenal success. An estimated 250,000 people marched, and many were inspired to bring the message back home to their local communities. The key question is whether the momentum will continue into 2010 - especially on the heels of some bitter disappointments in the November elections. Only time will tell.

Either way - kudos to those who worked so hard to make this vision a reality.

Gays win Office Around the US and the World

2009 was a banner year for 'out' politicians. According to the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, over sixty openly gay and lesbian candidates won office around the United States. Some notable victories included:

• Annise Parker - Mayor of Houston, TX


• Mark Kleinschmidt - Mayor of Chapel Hill, NC


• Simone Bell - State Legislator in Georgia

Likewise, gay candidates fared well in other key elections worldwide. Here are two highly visible international positions:

• In Iceland, Johanna Sigurdardottir becomes world's first openly lesbian Prime Minister (2/1/2009)


• In Germany, Guido Westerwelle becomes world's first openly gay Foreign Minister (10/28/2009)

Milk Wins Best Original Screenplay and Best Actor

The LGBT community rejoiced when the blockbuster motion picture Milk - based on the true story of Harvey Milk, gay activist and California's first openly gay elected official - won Academy Awards for best original screenplay (Lance Black) and best actor (Sean Penn).

Harvey Milk was a heroic champion of LGBT equal rights, and the movie did an outstanding job portraying his life and honoring his legacy.

Sports Stars Speak Out About their Sexuality

• Donal Og Cusack - "All Ireland hurling star" reveals he is gay in his autobiography Come What May released 10/21/2009.


• Gareth Thomas - Welsh Rugby legend - Comes Out of the Closet: On December 19th, 2009, Gareth Thomas, professional rugby player and national team veteran, announced to the public that he is gay.

Homosexuality Decriminalized in India

On July 2nd, 2009, The Delhi High Court declared that the 1861 law pertaining to homosexuality violates India's Constitution - in effect, legalizing homosexuality in the country's capital city and paving the way to legalization throughout India.

For an overview of homosexuality laws worldwide, visit Wikipedia's page on LGBT Rights by Country or Territory, which includes a color-coded world map and a table that nicely summarizes each nation's laws.

The Worst of 2009

U.S. LGBT Hate Crimes on the Rise

The FBI's annual publication of hate crime statistics showed that anti-LGBT hate crimes rose by almost 13% in 2008. While 2009 numbers have not yet been reported, the chilling story of Jorge Steven López Mercado - a 19 year old gay Puerto Rican who was murdered, burned, dismembered, and decapitated on November 13th, 2009 - reminds us all of the true horror of hate crimes and the homophobic scourge that plagues our society.

Same-Sex Marriage Defeated in Key States

While we celebrated same-sex marriage victories in several states around the US, we were reminded that victory is not always certain, and is sometimes only fleeting. Until we win the right to same-sex marriage on a Federal level, we will continue to be subjected to costly and bitter battles on a state by state basis.

• California Supreme Court Upholds Proposition 8 (5/26/09)


• Maine Repeals Same-Sex Marriage Legislation (11/3/09) - Original legislation was signed by Governor on 5/6/09


• New York State Senate Votes Down Gay Marriage Bill (12/2/09)


• New Jersey Gay Marriage Bill is Destined for Defeat (1/1/2010)

Persecution of Gays Escalates Around the World

2009 also revealed disturbing trends around the world, where gays are not only fighting for equality, but for their very lives:

• Iraq - Execution squads terrorize the LGBT community while the international community does nothing


• Burundi - Homosexuality criminalized in response to LGBT community's demand to end discrimination (April 2009)


• Rwanda - Debating legislation to criminalize homosexuality


• Uganda - Legislation proposes to criminalize homosexuality, including penalty of death for some


• Honduras - Gay hate crimes surge in wake of presidential coup

Gay Bars Raided 'Stonewall Style'

• Fort Worth: The Rainbow Lounge is raided by police while celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots (6/28/2009)


• Atlanta: The Atlanta Eagle is raided by police, laying 62 handcuffed patrons face down on the floor for an hour while they search the establishment (9/10/2009)

Key Federal Battles Fizzle in the US

While passage of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act offers new protections for the LGBT community, it is only one step forward in the march to equality. There are still several key battles yet to be fought at the federal level, and patience is wearing thin for LGBT political leaders who continue to wait until 'the timing is right'.

The fundamental rights I believe are crucial to LGBT equality include:

1. The right to live freely - without fear of physical or verbal abuse due to sexual identity


2. The right to love and marry a same-sex partner - receiving the same federal and state benefits extended to heterosexual couples


3. The right to raise a family - including the right to adopt children


4. The right to earn a living - without fear of being fired or harassed due to discriminatory policies based on sexual identity


5. The right to serve one's country in any of the armed forces without having to hide one's sexual identity

To achieve these rights, we must repeal discriminatory legislation such as the Defense of Marriage Act, and Don't Ask Don't Tell.

And we must add legislation such as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act to the existing arsenal of Equal Employment Opportunity Laws to prevent discrimination based on sexual identity from occurring in the workplace.

The Verdict

Only time will tell where 2009 ranks in terms of progress towards LGBT equality. The Mathew Shepard Bill was certainly a major victory, as were many of the same-sex marriage battles in states around the U.S. And as anyone who attended the National Equality March will attest, it was an emotional and inspiring event that had all the hallmarks of a legitimate civil rights movement.

Yet as I compare where we are now to where we were in the days Harvey Milk championed LGBT equal rights, I feel like social attitudes toward the LGBT community have progressed significantly while legislative progress has been almost stagnant. Each battle we win at the state level is contested and repealed when brought to a public vote. Meanwhile, as these political battles are waged, a backlash of anti-LGBT violence seemingly follows.

We will not be successful in achieving equal rights for all until federal legislation mandates it. Our legislators will not enact legislation until they hear their constituents demand it. We are their constituents.

Will your voice be heard in 2010?

National Equality March: Why We March...

On October 11, 2009, a sea of humanity engulfed the grounds of the United States Capitol in Washington DC, carrying a resounding message to Congress: We demand equal rights for all LGBT Americans.

As masses of marchers - numbering in the tens, if not hundreds of thousands - weaved their way through the streets of our nation's capitol, brandishing signs and chanting equality mantras, it was clear that this was not simply a protest... it had the hallmark of a full-blown civil rights movement.

Congregating on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building, the immense crowd was enthralled as speaker after speaker eloquently and passionately expounded on the injustices endured by LGBT Americans, and resolved to fight the battle for equality until it is won. Men and women of all ages, races, ethnicity, religious beliefs, and sexual identity were unified with a singular mission: equal rights for all.

Skeptics said we wouldn't come. We did. Antagonists said that the LGBT community was too fractured and apathetic to summon a true identity, let alone speak with a unified voice. They were wrong. We know who we are, we knew why we were there, and we spoke with conviction and power. As was said many times throughout the orations, we are on the right side of history. And we will persist until this battle is won.

The National Equality March achieved its objective. It marked not the end of a journey, but the beginning of one.

While many may have heard the inspiring collection of speeches delivered on the steps of the Capitol Building (if you haven't, I encourage you to go to YouTube and listen to each and every one), equally as inspiring are the reasons individual citizens gave for joining the cause.

Here are some of the response people (including me) gave when asked to explain "Why I March":

• I march because my conscience demands it
• I march to demand the repeal of DOMA
• I march to honor the sanctity of marriage for all committed couples
• I march to speak out against bigotry and hatred towards gays
• I march for the right to join the military - regardless of my sexual orientation
• I march for the right to raise a family with my same-sex partner
• I march because I'm proud of who I am
• I march for respect, dignity, and equality
• I march to make a difference
• I march to give the finger to the Phelps freaks
• I march not to impose my beliefs on others, but to protect myself from others imposing their beliefs on me
• I march to stand up against the National Organization for Marriage
• I march because apathy is our biggest enemy
• I march so congress will know I'm LGBT and I'm serious
• I march because LGBT equal rights can only be achieved at the federal level
• I march because every voice counts
• I march to end LGBT discrimination in the workplace
• I march to make my mother proud
• I march to show the world I'm not afraid
• I march to raise awareness of the rise in LGBT hate crimes
• I march to remind Obama why we voted for him
• I march because I am equal, and I deserve equal rights
• I march because in my lifetime, our marriage was illegal (interracial heterosexual couple)
• I march because I'm from California, and we lost Proposition 8 - and we're not going to lose anything else, Goddamnit!
• I march so my partner and I can have equal rights for our baby son
• I march for liberty and justice for all - equal rights for everyone
• I march (and rode the bus all night to get here) because LGBT rights are human rights, and I'm tired of waiting
• I march so our baby daughter can grow up and love who she wants to love
• I march because it's the right thing to do. I want my children to have the rights that I don't currently have
• I march for equal rights for all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity
• I march because our family should be respected just like any other family
• I march so I can actually marry my partner of 10 years and have the same rights that every straight couple has
• I march because I deserve equal rights, as does my girlfriend
• I march because "if you are gay, gay is OK" (spoken by a little kid)
• I march because we need equal rights, and we need them as soon as possible... like today... or tomorrow... or NOW
• I march because I don't understand why people are so afraid of she and I getting married
• I march because I think you should be able to love whomever you want to love
• I'm marching for my family and for myself. I am a lesbian, and my Latino family is largely an immigrant population
• I march for 100% equality. We've been together for 21 years, yet we don't have any legal rights
• I march to send a message to President Obama to keep his promise on equal rights
• I march for the generations to come and those cast to the margins - ignored by the media and decision makers
• I march for all those who can't
• I march because I was married for 30 years and enjoyed all the legal rights of a married person. Now I'd like the same rights married to a man
• I march for equality and safety, which has been denied on our campus
• I march because we've been together for 31 years in February, and we want to get married
• I march because I trust the president, and wish him well, but he can do more for us and I think he will. He gives great speeches... we want great acts
• I march because I want to have a family with my girlfriend
• I march for full equality for all Americans
• I march for love... for pure honest love in all circumstances
• I march so Americans can have the same rights we enjoy in Canada
• I march because no one should be a second class citizen
• I march for those who cannot
• I march because sometimes it takes a bunch of people to get together before people notice them
• I march because I feel that everyone should have a choice and an opportunity to be with the one they love
• I march for our four kids that need our support. We want to get married and we can't. We deserve equal rights
• I march because 'Don't Ask Don't Tell' hurts our troops and hurts our country
• I march to protect love
• I march because I think Bert and Ernie should have gotten married
• I am marching for me, so I can have a stronger commitment to this movement
• I march to support the repeal of DOMA and "Don't Ask Don't Tell", to support adoption rights, and international marriage
• I march to be counted
• I march because they've been telling us it's not our time since Stonewall
• I march because everyone should have the same rights and privileges in America
• I march as a straight guy who supports the cause of equality
• I march not because I believe change is possible, but because I believe it is inevitable

This is just a small sampling of why we marched. These are real voices from real people who invested the time, money, and energy to make sure their voices were heard in Washington DC. Make no mistake... every voice counts.

The National Equality March was just the beginning. We will continue to fight the battle until it is won. We will contest every piece of bigoted legislation at all levels of government. We will introduce and support LGBT equality legislation on every front. We will use our collective strength to ensure our elected officials are advocates for equality.

We are not asking for equal rights, we are demanding it.

[Special thanks to Tweeter @jaysays for his tireless efforts in interviewing scores of marchers and posting the videos on Twitter - from which many of these quotes were compiled. Bravo!]