A Great Time To Be Gay In America?

As I wrote in Monday’s post about the 2018 Tony Awards, there was gayness everywhere, padded in warm, fuzziness. Actors giving shout outs to their husbands and boyfriends. Heck, there was a commercial with lesbians. Even some of the TV ads were gay!

 

Isn’t it a great time to be gay in America?!?

 

In New York City, Alex Iovine, 26, and her girlfriend, Emma Pichl, 24, might be a bit more circumspect about that.

 

After having dinner in Brooklyn, the two women called up an Uber to take them over the East River and back to Manhattan. While crossing the Manhattan Bridge, Alex and Emma exchanged a quick kiss.

 

Then the driver suddenly pulled over and said, “Get out of my car, you’re not allowed to do that!” The driver told them kissing was “illegal” and “disrespectful.”

 

Maybe it isn’t such a great time to be gay in America. 

 

The driver ejected them from his vehicle and sped away. Iovine filmed the incident and filed a report with Uber that day.  

In a statement, Uber said the company does not tolerate any form of discrimination and they are investigating the incident

 

“Honestly, we were scared and shocked, mostly shocked, because we have never experienced that type of prejudice, especially in New York City,” Iovine said.

 

Iovine shared her story, hoping it would make a difference and make it more difficult for discrimination like this to take place. In the aftermath, she is happy to report “there’s been so much support from friends and strangers, it makes us feel warm and a lot better.”

 

The thing is for all those moments with bitter, narrow minded bigots like that Uber driver, there are so many others counter those moments, to show humanity as its best, that we can rise above our fears, our ignorance and be caring and compassionate. To just be kind. 

 

Last week, I wrote a post about how my daughter and I attended a forum about homosexuality in the church. Although the even was conducted in a fair and reasonable manner, my feel of the room was a resistance to accepting gays to be married in the church or hold positions of leadership.

 

This week, my daughter received a card from one of the ministers. There was no opportunity for Randie and the minister to speak at the forum but he was aware of her presence. He thanked her for being there, for her courage. It was a warm and considerate gesture. It was kind. 

 

Back to the Tonys for a moment and the gay TV ad.  The city of Las Vegas has subplanted its normally humorous "What Happens Here Stays Here" promotions with a new campaign called "Only Vegas Moments”. Sunday night, I saw this ad.  It features two women, one of whom wants to get married in Vegas in what appears to be an impulsive moment. One of them protests, suggesting "my parents would never forgive me." Later, her partner walks her into a candlelit ceremony. And surprise, her parents are there. And they approve. The tag line to the spot is "Destiny happens here."

 

It is a heartwarming moment. 

 

Maybe it isn’t such a great time to be gay in America. But there is hope for a better world where people find kindness is better than fear and love is stronger than hate.

 

There is hope for a better world where love is love is love is love.