It’s been a great few years for all of us who have fought for LGBT equality in many different forms. This week had me a mile off the ground as I watched two of those I’ve worked with over the years reach the pinnacle of success: one in the arts and the other in politics.
The road that LGBT media has taken in the last 50 years is a storied one. We’ve actually built an industry where one did not exist. In doing so, we had to try and bring the diversity of the community together, in the scope of race, religion, gender and the full spectrum of the political meter. One of the early contributors to local LGBT media, and especially PGN, was Alison Bechdel. Her cartoon strip “Dykes to Watch Out For” was an attempt to ensure that women were a part of our community media. Bechdel brilliantly took the everyday issues affecting her and her friends and put them into graphic form, a delightful way for readers to learn about the women in our community, and also Bechdel. As she used to tell me, PGN was one of the first to pick up her strip, and we always paid her, and on time. (In the early days of LGBT media, many times publishers did not have funds for freelancers.)
Well, Bechdel went on to publish that strip in book form and then several more. And a few years ago, someone asked if they could attempt to produce a musical about her life. That musical became “Fun Home,” and last weekend that show won the Tony Award for Best Musical.
The next day, the Democratic National Committee announced its executives for its upcoming 2016 National Convention in Philadelphia. Among the names was an old friend, Brian Bond, who was named deputy CEO for public engagement. I’ve known Bond from his earliest days attempting to forge a national political path for the LGBT community That was quite a battle, since many in our community still distrusted politicos at that time
He’s made me proud, building and reshaping dysfunctional organizations and training others to enter politics. You can see the result today in the number of LGBT people serving in government, contributing to campaigns and running as out community members for office. Many of those advances have their roots with Bond, who understood as an ambitious youth growing up in the rural Midwest that LGBT people don’t have to hide — and that we should make ourselves visible. He has done so with such success that he has been a trusted advisor to the president.
Both of these events could not have come at a better time: LGBT Pride month. Alison and Brian, you bring pride to our community and change to society. Take some time this month to appreciate and take personal pride.