Αντιγράφω από το Advocate απόσπασμα της ομιλίας του Πρόεδρου των ΗΠΑ, Ομπάμα στον Λευκό Οίκο, για τα 40 χρόνια από το Stonewall. Αν θέλετε να διαβάσετε όλη την ομιλία και σχετικό ρεπορτάζ, πιέστε εδώ
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Now, 40 years ago, in the heart of New York City at a place called the Stonewall Inn, a group of citizens, including a few who are here today, as I said, defied an unjust policy and awakened a nascent movement.
It was the middle of the night. The police stormed the bar, which was known for being one of the few spots where it was safe to be gay in New York. Now, raids like this were entirely ordinary. Because it was considered obscene and illegal to be gay, no establishments for gays and lesbians could get licenses to operate. The nature of these businesses, combined with the vulnerability of the gay community itself, meant places like Stonewall, and the patrons inside, were often the victims of corruption and blackmail.
Now, ordinarily, the raid would come and the customers would disperse. But on this night, something was different. There are many accounts of what happened, and much has been lost to history, but what we do know is this: People didn't leave. They stood their ground. And over the course of several nights they declared that they had seen enough injustice in their time. This was an outpouring against not just what they experienced that night, but what they had experienced their whole lives. And as with so many movements, it was also something more: It was at this defining moment that these folks who had been marginalized rose up to challenge not just how the world saw them, but also how they saw themselves.
As we've seen so many times in history, once that spirit takes hold there is little that can stand in its way. [Applause] And the riots at Stonewall gave way to protests, and protests gave way to a movement, and the movement gave way to a transformation that continues to this day. It continues when a partner fights for her right to sit at the hospital bedside of a woman she loves. It continues when a teenager is called a name for being different and says, "So what if I am?" It continues in your work and in your activism, in your fight to freely live your lives to the fullest.
In one year after the protests, a few hundred gays and lesbians and their supporters gathered at the Stonewall Inn to lead a historic march for equality. But when they reached Central Park, the few hundred that began the march had swelled to 5,000. Something had changed, and it would never change back.
The truth is, when these folks protested at Stonewall 40 years ago no one could have imagined that you -- or, for that matter, I -- [laughter] -- would be standing here today. [Applause] So we are all witnesses to monumental changes in this country. That should give us hope, but we cannot rest. We must continue to do our part to make progress -- step by step, law by law, mind by changing mind. And I want you to know that in this task I will not only be your friend, I will continue to be an ally and a champion and a president who fights with you and for you.
Thanks very much, everybody. God bless you. [Applause] Thank you. It's a little stuffed in here. We're going to open -- we opened up that door. We're going to walk this way, and then we're going to come around and we'll see some of you over there, all right? [Laughter] But out there. [Laughter]
But thank you very much, all, for being here. Enjoy the White House. Thank you. [Applause]
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Στην ίδια έκδοσή του το Advocate, με αφορμή των 40 χρόνων από το Stonewall, θυμάται ότι το πρώτο τεύχος του, το 1967, εμπνεύστηκε από την επέμβαση της αστυνομίας τότε σε ένα γκέι μπαρ, το Black Cat Tavern στο Λος Άντζελες, δύο χρόνια πριν το Stonewall.
Το περιοδικό μας υπενθυμίζει ότι και τότε είχαν γίνει διαδηλώσεις. Παρακάτω είναι το εξώφυλλο αυτού του τεύχους.
History
In 1967, the night of New Years, several plain clothed police officers infiltrated the Black Cat Tavern. After arresting several patrons for kissing to celebrate the occasion, the self-unidentified police officers began beating several of the patrons and ultimately arrested 16 more bar attendees which included 3 bartenders. The bar was established only two months prior. This created a riot in the immediate area, ultimately bringing about a more civil demonstration of over 200 attendees several days later protesting the raids. The protest was met by squadrons of armed policemen. Two of the men arrested for kissing were later convicted under state law and registered as sex offenders. The men appealed, asserting the right of equal protection under the law, but the U.S. Supreme Court did not accept their case.
It was from this event that the publication The Advocate and the organization Metropolitan Community Church (led by Pastor Troy Perry) were born.
These events pre-dated the Stonewall riots by over two years.
The Black Cat Tavern has since closed and is now a gay Latino bar called Le Barcito. The original sign depicting a black and white cat is still posted on the building today.
On November 7, 2008, the site was declared a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.
[από την wikipedia]
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Ανανέωση-Σημείωση: Μπορείτε επίσης να διαβάσετε πιέζοντας εδώ από τον gsh μετάφραση αποσπάσματος της ομιλίας του Ομπάμα, μαζί με σχετικό βίντεο
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