Yesterday, the District of Columbia lost one of its most prominent activists, Frank Kameny. Many D.C. residents will recognize his name merely because there is a street named after him in the Northwest quadrant of our city. He rightfully earned that honor by being quite a proponent of gay rights. In 1957, he was relieved of his position as an astronomer in the Army Map Service when he refused to answer questions regarding his sexuality. With disgust, he began to write letters to the White House and the Capitol alike, but to no avail. The federal government remained neutral, forcing Kameny to go to the Supreme Court, who too denied his existence. Frustrated by the lack of support, he co-founded the Mattachine Society of Washington in the early sixties, which was one of the first gay rights groups in America. Inspired by hatred, he coined the phrase “Gay is good”, which is still used by supporters at rallies and protests today. He would continue on to work on a campaign to remove homosexuality from the American Psychiatric Association’s list of mental disorders and to be the first openly gay candidate for the United States House of Representatives.

The death of this brilliant advocate was made worse only by its timing. Not only is October national lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning (LGBTQQ) awareness month, but specifically, yesterday, October 11^th, was National Coming Out Day; a day on which members of the LGBTQQ community are encouraged to “come out of the closets” by declaring their sexuality, loudly and proudly. It also seeks to provide a safe global environment for the LGBTQQ community, and reassures them that they need not live in fear or hide their sexuality. Dating back to the late eighties, National Coming Out Day is one of international tolerance, and is viewed as a rite of passage for LGBTQQ youth. Exactly twenty-four years ago, over a half a million people marched on Washington, demanding rights for themselves and their loved ones, and it is for this reason that we celebrate it on the 11^th of October.

In moments of celebration, as well as tragedy, we must look at the progress, the positives, and the past. It is a blessing that a pioneer for civil rights such as Franklin Kameny was able to witness such wonderful progress, like the repealing of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the legalization of gay marriage in several states and countries, and the overall change in our society’s opinion of the LGBTQQ lifestyle.  Over the past hundred years, so much has changed in our legislation, our perspectives, and our routines that we have no choice but to change with it.

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This blog was written by Lynn Blake, College Democrats Freshmen Representative

Come meet Congresswoman Jackie Speier, an incredible female leader in the  House of Representatives.
A few of the many issues Congresswoman Speier is advocating for!
-Women’s Issues
-Healthcare
-Education

Check out Congresswoman Speier moving speech on the House floor.
Congresswoman Jackie Speier on House floor

Meet us on the 3pm shuttle on October 25th! RSVP with Katie Breslin at breslink@students.trinitydc.edu

How many hospitals in DC offer access to rape kits?

Join the Trinity College Democrats in a discussion about the lack of access to Rape Kits in the District of Columbia.

Location: Rose Parlor

Time: 4pm-5pm

Students are asking the $21,000.00 question – how do I pay off my college debt? $21,000.00 is the average amount a student borrows to pay for college. Here’s my question: why aren’t student loans receiving the same attention, same care and the same forgiveness as every other loan in America? Right now, over 80 % of college students graduating this year will do so without a job. As a result, a record number of college graduates are having to move back in with their parents and take jobs that under-utilize their skills to pay bills and their debt. But, sadly, we have no choice.
Decisions are being made on the economy – decisions that are affecting us right now and will continue to affect generations to come. As young leaders, this is our economy and it needs to start working for us. It’s time to stop asking questions and start doing something about the current situation we are in.
Students played an integral role in movements that fought for social justice and shaped policy that helped working families. The civil rights movement and the fight to end apartheid in South Africa were successful because youth stood up against the injustice here and abroad.

This is our time.

Right now there are thousands of people across the country fighting for an economy that will benefit working families and students. We as young people need to be at the front lines of this struggle or else the cost of college will continue to skyrocket while the dream of a promising career will never become a reality.
What can you do? Start by Clicking here to sign up and stand with students from all over DC to demand Congress starts creating jobs for us. As DC-area students we are at ground zero of this fight. We need to come together with a unified voice so our voice is strong. We are the leaders this country needs and we will fight for our future. Also, follow us on twitter: @whatisourfuture. For more information contact, Valarie Bachelor at valarieb@thisisourdc.org or 703-786-0094.