How we won the gay rights debate

Well, it’s not completely over, of course — there are still hate crimes, still people in the closet, still families turfing out their gay children out onto the street — but some days, you just have to sit back and see how homosexuality is accepted in a way almost unthinkable in the 1970s.

We’ve got rappers apologizing to us and a straight writer in a US political magazine asking right-wingers point-blank:

“Why, given the myriad ways that our society
and culture diverge from the long list of archaic norms, practices, and
beliefs upheld in the Bible, does homosexuality inspire such anxiety,

even panic? What are you afraid of?”

We’ve got actor Ryan Reynolds cheerfully joking in an interview, “I’m not gay, but I’m thinkin’ about it,” and we’ve got John McCain‘s daughter Meghan easily reconciling her conservative politics with an acceptance of gay marriage:

And, best of all, we have the next generation — the ones I like to call “those kids today” — like Vermont teen James Neiley, who rocked the Senate house voting on gay marriage with this great speech:

I’m sure I’ll have some homophobic crap to mock tomorrow but for now, the kids are alright!

A former editor of the late, lamented fab magazine, Scott has been writing for Xtra since 2007 on a variety of topics in news pieces, interviews, blogs, reviews and humour pieces. He lives on the Danforth with his boyfriend of 12 years, a manic Jack Russell Terrier, a well-stocked mini-bar and a shelf of toy Daleks.

Keep Reading

Job discrimination against trans and non-binary people is alive and well

OPINION: A study reveals that we have a long way to go to reach workplace equality for trans and non-binary people

The new generation of gay Conservative sellouts

OPINION: Melissa Lantsman’s and Eric Duncan’s refusals to call out their party’s transphobia is a betrayal of the LGBTQ2S+ community

Over 300 anti-LGBTQ2S+ bills have been introduced this year. This doesn’t mean we should panic

OPINION: While it’s important to watch out for threats, not all threats are created equally. Some of these bills will die a natural death

Xtra’s top LGBTQ2S+ stories of the year

The best and brightest—even most bewildering—stories from a back catalogue brimming with insight