Dallas Voice (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 26, No. 38, Ed. 1 Friday, February 5, 2010 Page: 15 of 36
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If you diminish others, you diminish yourself, too
"I hope that every American, re-
gardless of where he lives, will stop
and examine his conscience about
this and other related incidents. This
nation was founded by men of many
nations and backgrounds. It was
founded on the principle that all men
are created equal, and that the rights
of every man are diminished when
the rights of one man are threat-
ened." (Presidait John F. Kennedy, Civil
Ri^its Address, June 11, 1963.)
President Kennedy was speaking
Julya Billhymer
Dyke in the Heart ofTexas
about calling out the National Guard to allow three
black people to enter the campus of the University
of Alabama peacefully to begin their collegiate ca-
reers, I dare you to read the entire document and
not shake your head in disbelief that Kennedy had
to get on national television and argue his case for
the equal rights of black American citizens. This
speech took place just about 46 years ago! Unbeliev-
able, right? Not for me.
February is Black History Month, a time of re-
flection and education that is very much
needed to remind Americans of just
how barbaric we have been as a people.
I am proud to be an American, but I
think our grandchildren will look back
at this time with the same disbelief that
we feel when we read the Civil Rights
Address of 1963. What am I talking
about? The LGBT civil rights movement
of course, and the people who are trying
to stand in its way
I am in the middle of doing my taxes
right now, and today I got mad as hell.
There are about 1,000 different rights that my wife
and I are not allowed under the Federal Tax Code.
One of the first questions Turbo Tax asks is if you
are married? I am married! Legally married in Cal-
ifornia! But if I check the married box and submit
that document, I could face criminal prosecution!
I pay hundreds of dollars more because I am not
allowed the same rights under the law as hetero-
sexual married people. I felt like pulling a Peter
Finch and running to open the window of my of-
fice, leaning out, and shouting, "I am mad as hell,
and I am not going to take it anymore!"
I voted for Barack Obama and I am angry at him
too. His decision to talk about wanting to end
"Don't ask, don't tell" the other night in his State of
the Union address does not appease me. It takes a
year for us to investigate and figure out that this is
wrong? That is not even my biggest beef with
Obama. My main issue is that I know he is a bril-
liantUnited States Constitution scholar. He is a for-
mer constitutional law professor, for crap's sake.
And I say the time is right for President Obama to
schedule a speech on national television to talk
about what the Constitution says about equal rights
for all. I will gladly write it for him.
President Obama should look into the TV cam-
eras and this should be his opening paragraph:
"My fellow Americans, good evening. I come to
you tonight, much like President Kennedy did on
the evening of June 11,1963. There is a grave injus-
tice being perpetrated daily on millions of Ameri-
cans, and tonight it stops. I cannot go one day
further pretending that the beloved United States
Constitution does not stand for the rights of all
Americans. The discrimination that gay Americans
face in many facets of their daily life is a disgrace to
this great country.
"'All men are created equal, and the rights of
every man are diminished when the rights of one
man are threatened.' Those were the words of Pres-
ident Kennedy on that long ago fateful night, and I
choose to repeat them again here. I cannot and will
not have the United States continue to ignore the
14th Amendment rights of gay Americans regard-
ing equal protection under the law. I say this here
tonight because I truly believe that all of us are di-
minished if this practice of injustice continues for
one more day." OK, I am stepping off the soapbox
for today. I know there are a couple of you that wish
I would trip and break my neck. For the rest of you,
remember, you know me. I am your relative; I am
your neighbor; I am your lawyer. I am you. Don't
diminish yourself. ■
JnlyaBilllnfmerisaformer police officer now working as
an attorney. SMives inFort Worth, andimtes regularly at
Dyke in the Heart ofTexas (TnjkelnTlieliairtOfTexas.com.)
TO SEND A LETTER | We welcome letters from readers. Shorter letters and those addressing a single issue are more likely to be printed. Letters are subject to editing for length and clarity, but we attempt to maintain the writer's substance
and tone. Include your home address and a daytime telephone number for verification. Send letters to the senior editor, preferably by e-mail (nash@dallasvoice.com). Letters also may be faxed (214-969-7271) or sent via the U.S. Postal Service
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query
BY DAVID TAFFET
02.05.10
Which cell phone provider do you use
and why?
Monica Ugartechea — "T-Mobile. It's cheap,
and I get reception everywhere."
Jonathan Garcia — "AT&T, because my par-
ents have it."
Nicole Reed — "AT&T because they have
better coverage and price. I had Verizon and
every time I walked into a building I had to go
to a land line."
Dave Wait — "I go with Verizon because in
Michigan they have better coverage than
AT&T."
Tami Reed — "Sprint, because it is depend-
able."
Have a suggestion for a question you'd like us to ask?
E-mail it to nash@dallasvoice.com.
Gen-Barack
Obama
LEADS# CHARGE
f°*LGBT SERVICE
MEMBERS
ASTRIDE HIS
TRUSTY STEED,
ii
i
02.05.10
dallasvoice 15
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Nash, Tammye. Dallas Voice (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 26, No. 38, Ed. 1 Friday, February 5, 2010, newspaper, February 5, 2010; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth239102/m1/15/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.