Stonewall

Gay Pride weekend in the Twin Cities.

June is celebrated by homosexuals as Gay Pride month, an inspiration derived from the 1960's equal rights campaigns for minorities, specifically Black Pride, and later, Black Power movements. The birth of the politicized gay rights campaign actually had it's beginnings in New York city at a gay bar in the Village known as The Stonewall Inn. It was a bar largely patronized by hispanic and black gay men, many, because of poverty and racial marginalization were hustlers, with transvestites and other drug dealers among them. NYC was beginning to clamp down on illegal activity at the time, including prostitution, while in their effort to clean up the city the police also began raids upon gay establishments and general harrasment of gay men engaging in public misconduct.

On June 27th, 1969 the same day as Judy Garland's funeral, (a pathetic icon of sorts for gay men of the day, much like Barbara Streisand or Madonna may be now.) the police raided the bar and attempted to arrest the patrons for lewd conduct or any other charge that applied. They encountered massive resistance and the men fought back. The Stonewall riots, as the press dubbed it, initiated the modern gay rights movement we witness today. At the time coverage of the event was headlines across the country, I remember Life magazine had a cover of the event with a story covering it inside. Earlier in the '60's, Life, Time, and other publications carried related stories on the gay sub-culture in NYC and San Francisco that gradually acquainted the general population with a lifestyle heretofore never spoken about, much less accepted.

Pictured, 2004 gay pride parade in Brazil, this years event attracted over a million according to press reports.

The gay pride movement rapidly spread throughout Europe and Canada and gave bold impetus to the feminist movement as well. Today we have gay pride celebrations in every major city in the United States during the month of June. Stonewall has gone down in history as the "Boston Tea Party" for gay liberation. It gave birth to numerous movements, including "Act Up!" the Black Panther style, more militant movement from the 1980's. I should also include organzations such as Dignity and the Rainbow Sash movement, they most likely wouldn't be around without Stonewall either.

Fr. Benedict Groeschl was once speaking about the gay pride parade passing in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral in NYC and mentioned it as being an affront to the Catholic Church that has done so much to help those suffering from AIDs as well as providing support groups such as "Courage" to help men and women live a chaste life in keeping with the Commandments and Church teaching. He expressed incredulity as to how these people could expect any respect when they flaunt their sexuality and practices publicly in such a shameful display. In the past there have been drag queens and nearly nude men simulating sex acts on the floats and among the revelers - which becomes a distasteful display of depravity for any moral person witnessing it. When one does see the extreme elements of the homosexual lifestyle it becomes obvious that there is a lack of maturity as well as morality, it is a culture marked by a sort of 'arrested development syndrome' - as if the majority are stuck emotionally and socially in their early teens. Watch reruns of "Will and Grace" to see what I mean, these people are somewhat retarded emotionally as well as sexually. Gay culture is a sex based culture. It's emphasis has always been focused upon the rather antiquated term 'freelove' and voluptuousness.

Gay publications are littered with sex ads and personals that enjoy an unabashed promotion of pornography. In the past alcoholism has gone hand in hand with the gay lifestyle, and still does to some extent. (Although anti-depressants may now have lessened the need for alcohol.) Yet there are many today who seem to live a conventional lifestyle; many are professionals and live very discreetly, these are the 'upper class' if you will excuse my lack of a better description. It is this more or less affluent group making a rather convicing argument for same-sex marriage, gay adoption, etc. They are influencial with politicians and pepper the media, and business. (As a gay bumper sticker announces, "We are everywhere.") The gay agenda is moving forward. The acceptance of homsexuality in our contraceptive, pro-abortion age by the educated elite and popular culture adherents has removed much of the stigma of same-sex attraction as well as sexual relations - even so-called bi-sexuality. An un-churched, faithless generation who cohabitates liberally, or marries and yet contracepts, cannot really be expected to understand why two men or two women may not enjoy equal status with their own sterile, selfish consumer/leisure driven lifestyles and relationships.


St. Benedict Joseph Labre


"Gay Pride" seems to me to be nothing more than an emotionally charged, adolescent mentality in rebellion against truth and the natural law, devoid of authentic faith or spirituality. Some gay people have adopted the form of religion without adherence to moral teachings. The term 'gay pride' is a decidedly oxymoron. Underlying the 'gay' is a sense of inferiority and loneliness; beneath the 'pride' lays an unconsious sense of shame that none can or will acknowledge, an awareness of conscience that has been more or less stiffled by a deluded self acceptance. Contrary to what the American Psychiatric Association (or whatever the name of the organization) has said in declassifying it as a mental disorder, it seems to me that it still has to be a neurosis of some type. This does not preclude one from living a normal life - it's not as if anyone has to be locked up. To realize that it is an "objective moral disorder" can be a starting point for a person on the path of conversion and wholeness in Christ - "in whom there is no longer male or female, slave or freeman" - in Him we become a new creation. In Him, every person can become the person God created him/her to be. I often look to St. Benedict Joseph Labre, the mendicant who most likely suffered from a sort of mental disorder and was homeless. He lived his life as a pilgrim, on the fringe of society. Through grace and fidelity to prayer and penance he became very holy; a great mystic, and a complete man who lived in intimate union with God.

Thinking about today's events I had hoped that the entire day would be a wash and that thunderstorms and rain would hamper the celebrations. The rain ceased and the sun came out and I recalled Our Lord's admonition to "Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you." And elsewhere, "Be merciful as your Heavenly Father is merciful; He makes the sun to shine on the just as well as the unjust." They've got a gorgeous day for their celebrations here in Minneapolis, so let's pray all the harder for their conversion and make reparation for their omission of keeping holy the Lord's Day.