Life, backwards and frontwards and in between

I have been directly part of the homosexual civil rights movement, and often over the years have been frustrated by the lack of support or even interest by most homosexuals, much less the so-called liberals and professionals who should have known the truth.

But I do think we can claim that our movement has affected people, even though they have not been directly involved or are even aware that they have been affected.

I was never a participant in the black civil rights movement, but I know I was affected by it and in a sense was educated for a world where races were equal by two institutions: the church and the YM/YWCA (sort of a religious agency too).

In high school, my Methodist Sunday School classes started a discussion on how lack citizens were being treated. I had not even been aware of the question. I had twice thought about it. Once while a paperboy and had one black customer. And when I realized that the good work done by the Bossier Lions Club was hurtful to black citizens because we raised money with a “minstrel with people in black faces, jokes, etc.

But the church started the discussion and the UM/YWCA added to it. And at summer camps the Y mixed the races, probably the first time we had ever met socially and equally.

So I felt good picking up black citizens in Baton Rouge when they started the first bus boycott—I was at LSU. And LSU Methodist and/YWCA groups met with the groups from Southern University. This was, in 1950, the year racial integration (partial) started at LSU and, strangely, Southern was concerned that it would take aware students from their university, the largest black college.

These institutions affected me. Today it could be that the internet, TV, etc. have the same affect. But we still need someone to make the effort. And we need everyone to support the effort.