Why do they keep comparing “gay rights” to “civil rights”?
The civil rights movement is not exactly the same as the struggle for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights. However, there are some similarities. Both groups are fighting for basic laws against discrimination. And both groups have met with resistance from right-wing opponents who want to preserve the inequities in the law. Several of the key black civil rights leaders were also gay, lesbian or bisexual. Bayard Rustin, a black gay man, was one of Dr. King’s closest advisers. Rustin organized the pivotal 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his famous “I Have A Dream” speech. Other key black LGBT figures from the civil rights era include author and activist James Baldwin and playwright Lorraine Hansberry, author of “A Raisin In The Sun.
The civil rights movement is not exactly the same as the struggle for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights. However, there are some similarities. Both groups are fighting for basic laws against discrimination. And both groups have met with resistance from right-wing opponents who want to preserve the inequities in the law. Several of the key black civil rights leaders were also gay, lesbian or bisexual. Bayard Rustin, a black gay man, was one of Dr. King’s closest advisers. Rustin organized the pivotal 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his famous “I Have A Dream” speech.
