Straight Into Gay America
My Unicycle Journey for Equal Rights
7/5/2006
"During 5 weeks and 1,000 miles of unicycling for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equal rights:
No one cited Biblical injunctions against me unicycling on the road.
No one studied the constitution to see what to do with my one wheel preference.
No one said to me. We have our place. You have your place.
No one forced me to ride in a closet.
What if we celebrated LGBT difference as easily as the difference between bicycling and unicycling, as a gift to be thankful for among all the standard wheel arrangements?
I rode my unicycle to collect everyday stories, to show that queer people live normal lives, that theres nothing to be afraid of from gay people, that the friendships Ive developed through the years can be found everywhere, and that the churchs damnation of gay people is all wrong. I rode as a pastor to argue a point."
The stories from last summer's tour have charged my activism for equal rights. I am learning the importance of ally voices. Queer people like Sara and Euna told me of having no voice when they speak up for equality. They are accused of selfishly seeking special rights.
As a straight person, with no known gay relatives, no one can accuse me of selfishness as I advocate for equality. I can say that equal rights arent special rights. These are human rights. I have every confidence that Jesus would agree.
With the Federal Marriage Amendment and other anti-gay fear tactics, we are in the midst of another polarized election season. Sometimes the bureaucracy seems so big it feels impossible to make a difference. This season, though, I have a plan of action.
Im sharing the stories I heard last summer, believing that stories change hearts. I'm offering Straight Into Gay America for free, A-Page-A-Day. People who sign up at my website start receiving one page every day, delivered to their email. Last summer I celebrated queer life on the road. This summer Im working to get LGBT stories into home, church and political conversations. When the November elections arrive, I want more votes for equality.
Tagline: Visit www.straightintogayamerica.com to begin receving and sharing your own pages of Lars Clausen's new book Straight Into Gay American: My Unicycle Journey for Equal Rights
