RE: HARVEY FIERSTEIN'S
MARRIAGE EQUALITY OP ED
A Heartfelt "Thank You" from our CEO
MW Savant

Dear Friends,

The irrepressible, unflappable, irreplaceable and passionate HARVEY FIERSTEIN, has written an OP ED entitled Same Sex, Different Rules "Why Gay Marriage? All We Want Is Equal Treatment" which appeared in yesterday's (4-1-07) Hartford Courant Newspaper.

"Before you misinterpret my arguments, let me clearly say that I am not asking for your or society's approval of my love life. I do not need or seek your opinion of homosexuality at all. What I need - no, demand - is the full protection under the law that my status as a taxpaying citizen earns. In the words of Nina Simone, "You don't have to live next to me. Just give me my equality."

It is undeniably succinct, telling, honest, logical and I wish to commend Mr. Fierstein for his willingness to stand up and speak with a voice that is unwavering and glistening in its candor.

He joins a list of my personal heroes such as Steven Goldstein, Barbara Kasbar and all the general, caucus and committee members and supporters of Garden State Equality.

Pastor Niemöller had it right in his 'poem' "First They Came" (Attrib.). I read this again today as I first did years ago and it is still as relevant today. One can insert any culture/group and it still is chilling.

There are many versions of this timeless and illustrative prose. Here it is as it appeared in TIME magazine 8/28/89 (source: Wikipedia):

First they came for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up,

because I wasn’t a Communist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up,

because I wasn’t a Jew.

Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak up,

because I was a Protestant.

Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left

to speak up for me.

Amidst the unfathomable and blatant inequality, homophobia and bigotry in the twenty-first century, I thank you for speaking out as well, sir, before there isn't anyone left to do so.

-MW Savant, CEO