'I Am a Woman and a Lbian': Rememberg Male Davis' 1972 Landmark Speech for Gay Rights - Ms. Magaze

Contents:

• “I AM A GAY AMERIN.”GOV. JIM MCGREEVEYON AUGT 12, 2004, NEW JERSEY’S DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR, JIM MCGREEVEY, UNR THREAT OF A SEXUAL HARASSMENT LAWSU OM HIS FORMER MALE LOVER, ANNOUNCED AT A PRS NFERENCE… READ MORE AUG. 13, 20041 VIEWER1 CONTRIBUTOR“I AM A GAY AMERIN.” LYRICSGOOD AFTERNOON. THROUGHOUT MY LIFE, I HAVE GRAPPLED WH MY OWN INTY, WHO I AM. AS A YOUNG CHILD, I OFTEN FELT AMBIVALENT ABOUT MYSELF, FACT, NFED.BY VIRTUE OF MY TRADNS, AND MY MUNY, I WORKED HARD TO ENSURE THAT I WAS ACCEPTED AS PART OF THE TRADNAL FAY OF AMERI. I MARRIED MY FIRST WIFE, KARI, OUT OF RPECT AND LOVE. AND TOGETHER, WE HAVE A WONRFUL, EXTRAORDARY DGHTER. KARI THEN CHOSE TO RETURN TO BRISH COLUMBIA.I THEN HAD THE BLSG OF MARRYG DA, WHOSE LOVE AND JOY FOR LIFE HAS BEEN AN CREDIBLE SOURCE OF STRENGTH FOR ME. AND TOGETHER, WE HAVE THE MOST BETIFUL DGHTER.YET, OM MY EARLY DAYS SCHOOL, UNTIL THE PRENT DAY, I ACKNOWLEDGED SOME FEELGS, A CERTA SENSE THAT SEPARATED ME OM OTHERS. BUT BEE OF MY ROLVE, AND ALSO THKG THAT I WAS DOG THE RIGHT THG, I FORCED WHAT I THOUGHT WAS AN ACCEPTABLE REALY ONTO MYSELF, A REALY WHICH IS LAYERED AND LAYERED WH ALL THE, QUOTE, "GOOD THGS," AND ALL THE, QUOTE, "RIGHT THGS" OF TYPIL ADOLCENT AND ADULT BEHAVR.YET, AT MY MOST REFLECTIVE, MAYBE EVEN SPIRUAL LEVEL, THERE WERE POTS MY LIFE WHEN I BEGAN TO QUTN WHAT AN ACCEPTABLE REALY REALLY MEANT FOR ME. WERE THERE REALI OM WHICH I WAS NNG? WHICH MASTER WAS I TRYG TO SERVE?I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT GOD TORTUR ANY PERSON SIMPLY FOR S OWN SAKE. I BELIEVE THAT GOD ENABL ALL THGS TO WORK FOR THE GREATER GOOD. AND THIS, THE 47TH YEAR OF MY LIFE, IS ARGUABLY TOO LATE TO HAVE THIS DISCSN. BUT IS HERE, AND IS NOW.AT A POT EVERY PERSON'S LIFE, ONE HAS TO LOOK EPLY TO THE MIRROR OF ONE'S SOUL AND CI ONE'S UNIQUE TTH THE WORLD, NOT AS WE MAY WANT TO SEE OR HOPE TO SEE , BUT AS IS.AND SO MY TTH IS THAT I AM A GAY AMERIN. AND I AM BLSED TO LIVE THE GREATT NATN WH THE TRADN OF CIVIL LIBERTI, THE GREATT TRADN OF CIVIL LIBERTI THE WORLD, A UNTRY WHICH PROVIS SO MUCH TO S PEOPLE.YET BEE OF THE PA AND SUFFERG AND ANGUISH THAT I HAVE ED TO MY BELOVED FAY, MY PARENTS, MY WIFE, MY IENDS, I WOULD ALMOST RATHER HAVE THIS MOMENT PASS.FOR THIS IS AN TENSELY PERSONAL CISN, AND NOT ONE TYPILLY FOR THE PUBLIC DOMA. YET, NNOT AND SHOULD NOT PASS.I AM ALSO HERE TODAY BEE, SHAMEFULLY, I ENGAGED ADULT NSENSUAL AFFAIR WH ANOTHER MAN, WHICH VLAT MY BONDS OF MATRIMONY. IT WAS WRONG. IT WAS FOOLISH. IT WAS EXCABLE.AND FOR THIS, I ASK THE FIVENS AND THE GRACE OF MY WIFE.SHE HAS BEEN EXTRAORDARY THROUGHOUT THIS ORAL, AND I AM BLSED BY VIRTUE OF HER LOVE AND STRENGTH.I REALIZE THE FACT OF THIS AFFAIR AND MY OWN SEXUALY IF KEPT SECRET LEAV ME, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY THE ERNOR'S OFFICE, VULNERABLE TO MORS, FALSE ALLEGATNS AND THREATS OF DISCLOSURE.SO I AM REMOVG THE THREATS BY TELLG YOU DIRECTLY ABOUT MY SEXUALY.LET ME BE CLEAR, I ACCEPT TOTAL AND FULL RPONSIBILY FOR MY ACTNS. HOWEVER, I'M REQUIRED TO DO NOW, TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT TO RRECT THE NSEQUENC OF MY ACTNS AND TO BE TTHFUL TO MY LOVED ON, TO MY IENDS AND MY FAY AND ALSO TO MYSELF.IT MAK LTLE DIFFERENCE THAT AS ERNOR I AM GAY. IN FACT, HAVG THE ABILY TO TTHFULLY SET FORTH MY INTY MIGHT HAVE ENABLED ME TO BE MORE FORTHRIGHT FULFILLG AND DISCHARGG MY NSTUTNAL OBLIGATNS.GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANC SURROUNDG THE AFFAIR AND S LIKELY IMPACT UPON MY FAY AND MY ABILY TO ERN, I HAVE CID THE RIGHT URSE OF ACTN IS TO RIGN.TO FACILATE A RPONSIBLE TRANSN, MY RIGNATN WILL BE EFFECTIVE ON NOVEMBER 15 OF THIS YEAR.I'M VERY PROUD OF THE THGS WE HAVE ACPLISHED DURG MY ADMISTRATN. AND I WANT TO THANK HUMBLY THE CIZENS OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY FOR THE PRIVILEGE TO ERN.1EMBEDCANCELHOW TO FORMAT LYRICS:TYPE OUT ALL LYRICS, EVEN REPEATG SONG PARTS LIKE THE CHOSLYRICS SHOULD BE BROKEN DOWN TO DIVIDUAL LUSE SECTN HEARS ABOVE DIFFERENT SONG PARTS LIKE [VERSE], [CHOS], ETC.USE ALICS (<I>LYRIC</I>) AND BOLD (<B>LYRIC</B>) TO DISTGUISH BETWEEN DIFFERENT VOLISTS THE SAME SONG PARTIF YOU DON’T UNRSTAND A LYRIC, E [?]TO LEARN MORE, CHECK OUT OUR TRANSCRIPTN GUI OR VIS OUR TRANSCRIBERS FOMABOUT
• GAY RIGHTS VS. FREE SPEECHSUPREME COURT BACKS WEB DIGNER OPPOSED TO SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
• ‘I AM A WOMAN AND A LBIAN’: REMEMBERG MALE DAVIS’ 1972 LANDMARK SPEECH FOR GAY RIGHTS
• 10 YEARS AFTER RIGNG, JIM MCGREEVEY DON'T VIEW HIMSELF AS A GAY TRAILBLAZER

“I AM A GAY AMERIN.”GOV. JIM MCGREEVEYON AUGT 12, 2004, NEW JERSEY’S DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR, JIM MCGREEVEY, UNR THREAT OF A SEXUAL HARASSMENT LAWSU OM HIS FORMER MALE LOVER, ANNOUNCED AT A PRS NFERENCE… READ MORE AUG. 13, 20041 VIEWER1 CONTRIBUTOR“I AM A GAY AMERIN.” LYRICSGOOD AFTERNOON. THROUGHOUT MY LIFE, I HAVE GRAPPLED WH MY OWN INTY, WHO I AM. AS A YOUNG CHILD, I OFTEN FELT AMBIVALENT ABOUT MYSELF, FACT, NFED.BY VIRTUE OF MY TRADNS, AND MY MUNY, I WORKED HARD TO ENSURE THAT I WAS ACCEPTED AS PART OF THE TRADNAL FAY OF AMERI. I MARRIED MY FIRST WIFE, KARI, OUT OF RPECT AND LOVE. AND TOGETHER, WE HAVE A WONRFUL, EXTRAORDARY DGHTER. KARI THEN CHOSE TO RETURN TO BRISH COLUMBIA.I THEN HAD THE BLSG OF MARRYG DA, WHOSE LOVE AND JOY FOR LIFE HAS BEEN AN CREDIBLE SOURCE OF STRENGTH FOR ME. AND TOGETHER, WE HAVE THE MOST BETIFUL DGHTER.YET, OM MY EARLY DAYS SCHOOL, UNTIL THE PRENT DAY, I ACKNOWLEDGED SOME FEELGS, A CERTA SENSE THAT SEPARATED ME OM OTHERS. BUT BEE OF MY ROLVE, AND ALSO THKG THAT I WAS DOG THE RIGHT THG, I FORCED WHAT I THOUGHT WAS AN ACCEPTABLE REALY ONTO MYSELF, A REALY WHICH IS LAYERED AND LAYERED WH ALL THE, QUOTE, "GOOD THGS," AND ALL THE, QUOTE, "RIGHT THGS" OF TYPIL ADOLCENT AND ADULT BEHAVR.YET, AT MY MOST REFLECTIVE, MAYBE EVEN SPIRUAL LEVEL, THERE WERE POTS MY LIFE WHEN I BEGAN TO QUTN WHAT AN ACCEPTABLE REALY REALLY MEANT FOR ME. WERE THERE REALI OM WHICH I WAS NNG? WHICH MASTER WAS I TRYG TO SERVE?I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT GOD TORTUR ANY PERSON SIMPLY FOR S OWN SAKE. I BELIEVE THAT GOD ENABL ALL THGS TO WORK FOR THE GREATER GOOD. AND THIS, THE 47TH YEAR OF MY LIFE, IS ARGUABLY TOO LATE TO HAVE THIS DISCSN. BUT IS HERE, AND IS NOW.AT A POT EVERY PERSON'S LIFE, ONE HAS TO LOOK EPLY TO THE MIRROR OF ONE'S SOUL AND CI ONE'S UNIQUE TTH THE WORLD, NOT AS WE MAY WANT TO SEE OR HOPE TO SEE , BUT AS IS.AND SO MY TTH IS THAT I AM A GAY AMERIN. AND I AM BLSED TO LIVE THE GREATT NATN WH THE TRADN OF CIVIL LIBERTI, THE GREATT TRADN OF CIVIL LIBERTI THE WORLD, A UNTRY WHICH PROVIS SO MUCH TO S PEOPLE.YET BEE OF THE PA AND SUFFERG AND ANGUISH THAT I HAVE ED TO MY BELOVED FAY, MY PARENTS, MY WIFE, MY IENDS, I WOULD ALMOST RATHER HAVE THIS MOMENT PASS.FOR THIS IS AN TENSELY PERSONAL CISN, AND NOT ONE TYPILLY FOR THE PUBLIC DOMA. YET, NNOT AND SHOULD NOT PASS.I AM ALSO HERE TODAY BEE, SHAMEFULLY, I ENGAGED ADULT NSENSUAL AFFAIR WH ANOTHER MAN, WHICH VLAT MY BONDS OF MATRIMONY. IT WAS WRONG. IT WAS FOOLISH. IT WAS EXCABLE.AND FOR THIS, I ASK THE FIVENS AND THE GRACE OF MY WIFE.SHE HAS BEEN EXTRAORDARY THROUGHOUT THIS ORAL, AND I AM BLSED BY VIRTUE OF HER LOVE AND STRENGTH.I REALIZE THE FACT OF THIS AFFAIR AND MY OWN SEXUALY IF KEPT SECRET LEAV ME, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY THE ERNOR'S OFFICE, VULNERABLE TO MORS, FALSE ALLEGATNS AND THREATS OF DISCLOSURE.SO I AM REMOVG THE THREATS BY TELLG YOU DIRECTLY ABOUT MY SEXUALY.LET ME BE CLEAR, I ACCEPT TOTAL AND FULL RPONSIBILY FOR MY ACTNS. HOWEVER, I'M REQUIRED TO DO NOW, TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT TO RRECT THE NSEQUENC OF MY ACTNS AND TO BE TTHFUL TO MY LOVED ON, TO MY IENDS AND MY FAY AND ALSO TO MYSELF.IT MAK LTLE DIFFERENCE THAT AS ERNOR I AM GAY. IN FACT, HAVG THE ABILY TO TTHFULLY SET FORTH MY INTY MIGHT HAVE ENABLED ME TO BE MORE FORTHRIGHT FULFILLG AND DISCHARGG MY NSTUTNAL OBLIGATNS.GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANC SURROUNDG THE AFFAIR AND S LIKELY IMPACT UPON MY FAY AND MY ABILY TO ERN, I HAVE CID THE RIGHT URSE OF ACTN IS TO RIGN.TO FACILATE A RPONSIBLE TRANSN, MY RIGNATN WILL BE EFFECTIVE ON NOVEMBER 15 OF THIS YEAR.I'M VERY PROUD OF THE THGS WE HAVE ACPLISHED DURG MY ADMISTRATN. AND I WANT TO THANK HUMBLY THE CIZENS OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY FOR THE PRIVILEGE TO ERN.1EMBEDCANCELHOW TO FORMAT LYRICS:TYPE OUT ALL LYRICS, EVEN REPEATG SONG PARTS LIKE THE CHOSLYRICS SHOULD BE BROKEN DOWN TO DIVIDUAL LUSE SECTN HEARS ABOVE DIFFERENT SONG PARTS LIKE [VERSE], [CHOS], ETC.USE ALICS (<I>LYRIC</I>) AND BOLD (<B>LYRIC</B>) TO DISTGUISH BETWEEN DIFFERENT VOLISTS THE SAME SONG PARTIF YOU DON’T UNRSTAND A LYRIC, E [?]TO LEARN MORE, CHECK OUT OUR TRANSCRIPTN GUI OR VIS OUR TRANSCRIBERS FOMABOUT

But is here, and is a pot every person's life, one has to look eply to the mirror of one's soul and ci one's unique tth the world, not as we may want to see or hope to see , but as so my tth is that I am a gay Amerin.

GAY RIGHTS VS. FREE SPEECHSUPREME COURT BACKS WEB DIGNER OPPOSED TO SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

However, I'm required to do now, to do what is right to rrect the nsequenc of my actns and to be tthful to my loved on, to my iends and my fay and also to mak ltle difference that as ernor I am gay. It’s a gay romance, enpassg nearly half a century and begng when Nate, a middle-class kid om New Jersey (like Rudnick himself) who dreams of beg an actor or playwright or “simply someone who’d ll other people ‘darlg, ’” meets the patrician, relsly handsome Farrell 1973, durg their first days at Yale.

‘I AM A WOMAN AND A LBIAN’: REMEMBERG MALE DAVIS’ 1972 LANDMARK SPEECH FOR GAY RIGHTS

Along the way, Rudnick provis a vivid history of gay life Ameri. (Nate, settlg Manhattan’s Wt Village after llege, is dazzled to fd his first gay gym, filled wh “mcular men heavg and gntg and argug venomoly about opera. ImageLorie Smh said her Christian fah requir her to turn away ctomers seekg servic to celebrate same-sex Woolf for The New York TimThe Supreme Court sid on Friday wh a web signer Colorado who said she had a First Amendment right to refe to sign weddg webs for same-sex upl spe a state law that forbids discrimatn agast gay people.

’”The se, though amed as a clash between ee speech and gay rights, was the latt a seri of cisns favor of relig people and groups, notably nservative cisn also appeared to suggt that the rights of L. The liberal jtic viewed as somethg else entirely — a dispute that threatened societal protectns for gay rights and rolled back some recent an impassned dissent, Jtice Sonia Sotomayor warned that the oute signaled a return to a time when people of lor and other mory groups faced open discrimatn. ”A Colorado law forbids discrimatn agast gay people by bs open to the public as well as statements announcg such discrimatn.

10 YEARS AFTER RIGNG, JIM MCGREEVEY DON'T VIEW HIMSELF AS A GAY TRAILBLAZER

“Lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr (L.

The dissentg jtic, he wrote, foced on “the stris gay Amerins have ma towards securg equal jtice unr law.

He was the thor of every major Supreme Court cisn protectg gay rights unr the Constutn.