Today, as we honor the memory of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. , I am reminded of the struggles for equality in the LGBT community and the lessons we can apply from King’s legacy.
King believed in creating change by organizing peaceful, nonviolent protests and delivering powerful speeches that would inspire those fighting for equality — and educate those who needed to understand why our Constitution did not just grant civil rights to a select group of people.
In the GLBT community, the struggle for civil rights continues. Organizations across the country continue to speak out to educate the public and eradicate intolerance and hate. When appropriate and timely, legal groups such as GLAD, Lambda Legal and the National Center for Lesbian Rights challenge discriminatory laws in the courts. Like Martin Luther King, Jr., these organizations seek change through peaceful, nonviolent means.
Time Magazine named King Man of the Year in 1963. In 1964, King was the youngest person, at age 35, to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
He is perhaps most remembered for the peaceful march on Washington, D.C., where he delivered his famous address, “I Have A Dream,” to a crowd of 250,000 people.
Read the full text of his speech here.
As we remember Martin Luther King, Jr., today, we should not lose sight of his contributions to the civil rights movement — nor to our own convictions that equality for all GLBT citizens is possible through peaceful demonstrations, intelligent dialogues and the continued education of the general public.
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copyright 2011 Irene C. Olszewski
Connecticut Lesbian and Gay Law 