Have you ever committed a crime?  I’m not talking about illegal downloading of music or running a stop sign.  I mean something so criminal, that if caught, it would mean your life?  Ever signed your name to a document knowing that the penalty for doing so was death?  Imagine what it would take for you do pick up the pen.  On July 4th, 1776, a group of men gathered in Philadelphia, PA to claim independence for the several states. 

They came together to commit tyranny against the British crown.  They entered the hall that day as men and left as fathers of a country. 

What would the founding fathers think of gay rights, civil unions, and other related topics if they were to voice their opinions today?  After spending days researching, contemplating, and trying to find a way to come up with a historically correct answer to those questions, I discovered that there really is no way of knowing.  What I was able to do, however, was to pull certain quotes from each of our country’s forefathers and shed light on this debate. 

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” 

The Declaration of Independence, adopted by the Continental Congress on our nation’s first independence day, announced to the British that the thirteen American colonies were now independent states and no longer a part of the British Empire.  Congress had voted two days before to declare said independence and Thomas Jefferson penned the formal document.  This sentiment, that “all men are created equal,” however would become one of the most recognized statements throughout history.  Groups, discriminated against by parts of society would use this phrase as a basis for equality.  Slavery would come to an end.  Women’s suffrage would become a reality.  The civil rights movement would spark.  And finally, the LGBT community would use it as a course of action against injustice.  Thomas Jefferson’s words, influenced heavily by John Locke, would be used to declare independence from the British as well as formulate changes in society where marginalized groups would become equal to whole of society. 

Thomas Jefferson, expounded on his views of liberty, “Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others.  I do not add ‘within the limits of the law,’ because law is often but the tyrant’s will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual.”  For Jefferson, government cannot create liberty… only violate it.  A person’s liberty is infringed upon when others are not given the same liberty.  Jefferson’s thoughts for a just government were that the government prohibited members of the society from blocking others’ liberties as well as restraining itself from doing the same.

In 1779, Thomas Jefferson proposed a law that would mandate castration for gay men and mutilation of nose cartilage for gay women.   As horrible as this sounds, however, this was very liberal thinking for his day, as the most common penalty on the books was death.  A few years later, during his first inaugural address, Jefferson started his list of essential principles of government with “equal and exact justice to all men, of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political.”  I think today, with as far as society has come, Thomas Jefferson would be a supporter of not only gay rights but human rights in general.  Denying equality from anyone would not be something that he would be fond of.  

John Adams, the second president of the United States said “Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness of the people; and not for profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men; therefore, the people alone have an incontestable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to institute government; and to reform, alter, or totally change the same, when their protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness require it.”  The Declaration of Independence also states that everyone is free and is given the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Life.

Being LGBT is not what defines us people.  It may be why we are a “community,” but it does not define us as individuals.  We are not “Gay Paul” or “Suzie, yeah, you know, the lesbian one”.  We are each who we are because we have different talents, abilities, hobbies and traits that make us up to be whole people.  Being gay is a part of who we are, but doesn’t define us.  We are each given the “unalienable” or natural right to be happy, which we each deserve.  Our founding fathers sought to guarantee these rights to each American—these freedoms, apply to each of us.  Thomas Jefferson said, “A free people claim their rights as derived from the laws of nature, and not as the gift of their chief magistrate.”  Each of us was born with an inherent right to be who we are.  No matter the Creator, being born an American affords us each these rights. 

Liberty.

This country was built on the foundation of liberty.  Liberty is defined as "freedom from control, interference, obligation, restriction, hampering conditions, etc.; power or right of doing, thinking, speaking, etc., according to choice."  If we are to adhere to the principle of liberty, then rights must be allowed, otherwise it sets precedence for other personal liberties to be taken away.  “Law is defined to be a rule of action; but how can that be a rule, which is little known, and less fixed?” Alexander Hamilton, Federalist #62.
 
Benjamin Franklin once said “It is a common observation here that our cause is the cause of all mankind, and that we are fighting for their liberty in defending our own.”  By taking a stand against injustice, we each fight for the entire population’s rights.  We each, by defending our own rights fight along side one another to protect each other.  Discrimination against one person is just as bad as discrimination against the whole.  We are all part of this great land of ours and we all deserve and are entitled to the same, equal, protections. 

Pursuit of Happiness.

What is happiness?  It is defined as, “the state of being happy.”  What makes you happy?  Each one of us will claim different things.  For some, it may be time with family.  For others, maybe a certain smell or a browse through a memory book.  As LGBT Americans, we are just as entitled to each one of our own “happiness makers” as the next person.  Some people’s greatest joy is their soul mate.  Some would describe times with that person as straight from a movie with fireworks, a run towards each other’s warm embrace.  For some of us, we’ve never been to carry this feeling in public because of fear.  Fear that someone might see us and comment hinders the happiness that we are entitled to.  Blank stares ensue.  Children are pulled away from view.  People whisper.  Everyone feels uncomfortable because of the BIG GAY ELEPHANT in the room.  Adam and Steve have just as much of a natural right to be happy as Adam and Eve.  The right to be happy an love who you love.  

George Washington said, “Human happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected.”  I have a vision of George Washington being a really prissy man.  For some reason, this has always been in my head.  Uptight and arrogant.  However, I do believe he had it right.  We deserve this happiness, yes.  We also have the duty that comes with it.  We cannot trust that people ignorance and bigoted fears will be squashed just because two of us hold hands in front of them.  We have to know that what may appear natural for us, isn’t to others.  That’s why visibility and education is so important in our community.   My boyfriend tells me stories of people that he knows that were once homophobic “until they met (him).”  My boyfriend would appear to be very “straight acting” and normal.  These stories however got me to thinking that a lot of the people that are against us probably do not really know any of us.  All they see is the lavish parties, the flamboyant parades, or the HIV horror stories.  Each one of us knows someone that might be changed if we allowed ourselves to be outwardly happy and come out to this person.  They may not understand at the beginning.  They may think, “you don’t see gay.”  But their attitudes will change.  Change happens incrementally.  It cannot happen over night.  Each one of us can help to change our society and work toward our community’s “pursuit of happiness.”
 
Happiness and pride go hand in hand.  The wonderful Ben Franklin also wrote, “In reality there is perhaps no one of our natural Passions so hard to subdue as Pride. Disguise it, struggle with it, beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive, and will now and then peek out and show itself.”  Looking at PRIDEFEST 2010, what did you see?  I saw hundreds and hundreds of proud people, with their supporters, families, friends, coworkers, lovers and pets.  We are one proud bunch of people, and no matter what comes our way, I have confidence that we as gay brothers and sisters will stand up and defend our rights, our natural rights, with our allies and loved ones.

In 1776 the colonists and founding fathers fought for their rights.  In 1865 African-Americans fought for their rights.  In 1920, women fought for their rights.  In 2010, we as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Americans are still fighting for our rights.  Rights that are freely given to heterosexuals, without hesitation, even if they’ve shown they aren’t necessarily deserving of them.  It gives me great pleasure to feel that if Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton and countless others were here today in modern times, that they would stand up and support the LGBT community.  Those words written so courageously in 1776 can never be erased.  The words spoken by all of us today, can never be changed, and will be heard.  As we celebrate another Independence Day, take time to remember those who fought for what they believed in, regardless of what they believed in, and today, over 300 years later, how strong of a nation we have become.