The year was 1955- it was a cool December day in Montgomery Alabama. A young woman boarded a bus and sat down after a long day of work. A white passenger came on the bus and the driver ordered her to give up her seat and move to the back of the bus. This petite woman Rosa Parks took a stand and refused to move. She was arrested and convicted; she lost her job and had to move to Detroit so she could continue to work.
Rosa Park’s single, brave act of civil disobedience was a spark that helped light the nation’s fire for the African -American civil rights movement. Her subsequent arrest for this so-called “crime” gave rise to the Montgomery Bus Boycotts and other sentinel events that pressured a change in the laws. Thus the dismantling of Jim Crow and segregation had begun.
Fourteen years later, on June 28, 1969, in a little gay bar called the Stonewall Inn located in Greenwich Village, the patrons had enough of the constant police harassment and rioted - another civil rights movement was born!
American gays and lesbians in the 1950s and 1960s faced a legal system more anti-gay than those of most communist countries. Back then you could not even hold hands in a bar with your partner or dance with him or her. If you were caught, you were arrested and the bar was shut down. Police raids of bars in New York City were common place and patrons lived in fear of arrest and of losing their jobs should their sexuality be revealed. For 3 days, a mix of gays, lesbians and drag queens stood up to the police and through their bravery, at what are now called the “Stonewall Riots”, the modern gay rights movement owes our success to these brave souls.
Within a few years, gay rights organizations were founded across the U.S. and the world. On June 28, 1970, the first Gay Pride marches took place in major US cities commemorating the anniversary of the riots. Today, Gay Pride events are held annually throughout the world in June to mark the Stonewall Riots including our very own gay pride celebrations here in Key West.
Fast forward to 2011. The US military is about to welcome openly gay service members; same sex marriage or civil unions are the law of the land in over a dozen states and an even greater number of countries; almost all Fortune 500 companies offer domestic partner benefits and have non-discrimination policies based on sexual orientation.
Yet in most states in this country, including our own State of Florida, you can be fired from your job for simply being gay; our marriages are not recognized by our own government, our jobs are not secure, our loved ones shunned to the margins by a government hell bent on our alienation as a people.
Just last week in Tennessee, overzealous Republicans in their legislature, elected on a promise of jobs, instead have turned their attention and vitriol on our community reversing all laws that protect the LGBT community from discrimination and even outlawing the word “GAY” in public education. The people of Tennessee should be ashamed!
Yet Key West serves as a bastion of freedom for gay and lesbian people; a place with an openly gay police chief, county mayor, city commissioners, business leaders, Rotary presidents and openly gay teachers in our schools. A place where drag queens raise money alongside a straight Republican city mayor and an openly gay county mayor with no fuss or fanfare - just being who we are and a beacon of hope for others.
This is why Key West is a source of pride for me and should be a source of pride for each of us. Our way of life is one that Florida and our nation should embrace. After all, we prove every day that our One Human Family concept is not only viable but vital to our prosperity.
Look around the state and you will see that our little Island leads the way in hotel occupancy; our real estate market is beginning to recover while other Florida cities languish with thousands of vacant condos. Our unemploymenhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gift rate is the lowest in the State and our crime is low compared to other cities. Yes, we can attribute some of this success to our special location, weather and architecture but I would propose that it is more than these accidents of destiny. I propose that our success is rooted in the fact that our community is a living example of those most American values- equality, fairness, and opportunity for Gay and Lesbian people.
Key West - be proud of who you are - the colors of the rainbow are bright here and we continue to live out our national motto - E pluribus Unum - out of many, one. This is the promise of America and Key West is proud to say that the promise of America is being fulfilled here. Let’s continue to show the world that Gay and Lesbian equality is not only possible but essential for our nation’s prosperity and future.
Rudy Molinet,
Marquis Properties, Key West.
The lovely South Street home was snapped up because it was priced well, said Harry Hoehn in a blog post Friday. Not every sale is that rapid these days, but our latest market report reflects stronger sales, higher average and mean home prices, a lower inventory and fewer days on the market. Read the full Key West real estate market report for June 2011.
Are you ready to buy your dream home in Key West? Call Rudy Molinet directly: 305-240-1090.
