United with Gay pride....




New Yorkers celebrating the 2013 Gay Pride Parade


I’ll admit it- I wasn’t always as proud of the “American” aspect of my Asian-Indian American identity as I am today. In recent years, I feel my American pride has grown. This week, my pride was undeniably present when the Supreme Court ruled part of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional and struck down California’s Proposition 8 ballot initiative, which defines marriage being between one man and one woman. 

I was living in the Castro district of San Francisco in 2008 when Gay marriage was made legal in California. I vividly remember that morning. The goose bumps I felt and tears of joys that ran down my cheeks as I watched the breaking news on television and the lively celebrations that I witnessed as I walked down Castro Street that left me so giddy are still fresh in my mind.  Living amongst open-minded and accepting San Franciscans and having Gay and Lesbian mentors, students, doctors, friends, and neighbors allowed me to see past the societal stereotypes I once subscribed to and better understand the lived experiences and various forms of oppression that Gay and Lesbians were commonly subjected to. I have personally known students that have been the victim of “gay bashing” or discriminatory violence, known people who could not be claimed as a dependent on their partner’s health insurance causing them to live in fear of getting ill, have heard personal testimonies of people who were denied the ability to make decisions about their loved ones in their dying days due to hospital regulations, and people who felt they were denied adoption rights due to their sexuality. Seeing and hearing these oppressive experiences encouraged me to work as an ally in the GLBTQ struggle for equal rights and acceptance. 

When Proposition 8 was passed later the same year by the federal court and some marriages in our society were instantly considered illegal, my sense of pride quickly turned to shame. I was highly disappointed that the courts were able to take away the privileges of marriage equality and the power those privileges allowed Gay and Lesbian Americans to enjoy. 

For the last several years, I have spoken about the political, cultural, and social issues that surround the GLBTQ community in my classroom.  I have educated my students about the oppression that this marginalized culture-group has experienced, hoping to create awareness, demystify stereotypes, and decrease prejudices that GLBTQ individuals have been faced with. I am ecstatic that when I return to the classroom this Fall, I can talk about the supreme court decisions of this past week and the step forward that our government has made towards civil rights in order to create a more inclusive and socially just society. 

Yesterday, millions of people participated in Gay pride parades throughout our country, acknowledging and celebrating Gay pride. With the recent Supreme Court decision to give Gays and Lesbians the rights that they deserve, this year’s celebrations were historic. This week, Gay pride was felt not just by GLBTQ Americans, but by many Americans such as myself who are committed to social justice, equity, inclusion, and equality for all people. I feel blessed to have the privilege of living in a Democratic society that values equality and a society that believes that all men are created equal. I know we have a lot of work to do as a nation in order for all Americans to be perceived as equal- but I’m happy to say that I feel proud to be an American and I’m hopeful that one day all people in this country regardless of their sexual orientation can experience the same privileges and power that I enjoy as a Straight American. I am hopeful that one day we will indeed be the UNITED States of America.

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