THE 1990S DEFINING MOMENTS OF THE DECADE.History has yet to make its judgement on the past ten years, but our readers have When The Advocate asked readers, via www.advocate.com, to name the most important event of the decade, there were nearly as many events named as there were replies to the poll. While Matthew Shepard's murder, Ellen DeGeneres's coming-out, and President Clinton's election were by far the most popular answers, the survey serves as a surprising reminder of how so many events have changed so many lives in so short a time. Following are just 51 of the replies--one from each state and the District of Columbia District of Columbia, federal district (2000 pop. 572,059, a 5.7% decrease in population since the 1990 census), 69 sq mi (179 sq km), on the east bank of the Potomac River, coextensive with the city of Washington, D.C. (the capital of the United States). . Rod Garrett, 35 Henager, Ala. Gays in the military debated "In every corner of America, from coffeehouses to barbershops, everyone discussed `us.'" Jackson Steele, 50 Anchorage, Alaska Bill Clinton elected "He not only talked about us; he also talked to us. The president of the United States The head of the Executive Branch, one of the three branches of the federal government. The U.S. Constitution sets relatively strict requirements about who may serve as president and for how long. said we should have equal rights, and he meant it." Melissa Miller, 22 Tempe, Ariz. Ellen comes out "Ellen warmed hearts. She portrayed a very normal person, and the straight community needs to see that people who are gay are just as normal as they are." Anne Shelley, 37 Fayetteville, Ark. Equality Begins at Home week "It brought national attention to [local activism], inspired more than 350 actions and events across the country for LGBT LGBT Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender equality, and birthed new statewide organizations, including Arkansas Equality Network The Equality Network is an Edinburgh based organisation which campaigns for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities in Scotland. Aims The organisation states its aims as follows; ''"We do not seek to represent any community. here at home." Rich Bozanich, 42 Cathedral City, Calif. Protease inhibitors Protease Inhibitors Definition A protease inhibitor is a type of drug that cripples the enzyme protease. An enzyme is a substance that triggers chemical reactions in the body. introduced "Since their implementation, none of my friends has died. If only these drugs had been available earlier, those who couldn't live long enough might still be here." Sage Douglas Remington, 55 Southern Ute Indian Reservation Tribal Flag of the Southern Ute Tribe The Southern Ute Indian Reservation lies in southwestern Colorado, USA, along the northern border of New Mexico. Its territory is comprised of land from three counties; in descending order of surface area they are La Plata County, , Ignacio, Colo. U.S. Supreme Court overturns Colorado's Amendment 2 "It was monumental. It was the legal confirmation of the recognition of the gay, lesbian, transgender transgender or transgendered adj. Transsexual. , and bisexual community The notion of the bisexual community is complex and slightly controversial. Bisexuals are in the peculiar situation of receiving hatred, distrust, or denial, called biphobia, from elements of both the heterosexual and homosexual populations. ." Glenn Lu, 40 Stamford, Corm, Gays and lesbians march on Washington "[The 1993 march] represented an increase in gay visibility that I think has waned since." Michael Kintz, 21 Millsboro, Del. "Don't ask, don't tell" policy adopted "Even though it was a meager mea·ger also mea·gre adj. 1. Deficient in quantity, fullness, or extent; scanty. 2. Deficient in richness, fertility, or vigor; feeble: the meager soil of an eroded plain. 3. attempt at best for Clinton to win the hearts of gays and lesbians while still catering to conservatives, it was still a small step." Mauro A. Montoya Jr., 41 Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale (lô`dərdāl), residential, commercial, and resort city (1990 pop. 149,377), seat of Broward co., SE Fla., on the Atlantic coast; settled around a fort built (c.1837) in the Seminole War, inc. 1911. , Fla. Gay marriage debated "I really don't care
"Don't Care" is a 1994 (see 1994 in music) single by American death metal band Obituary. whether we call it marriage, domestic-partner benefits, or making whoopee on Tuesdays as long as the benefits are the same." Michael Whaley, 36 Alpharetta, Ga. Gays and lesbians march on Washington "[The 1993 march] showed the real diversity of gay America and the great numbers of gay and lesbian Americans." Bill McCoy, 25 Honolulu, Hawaii For the city and county of Honolulu, see City & County of Honolulu. “Honolulu” redirects here. For other uses, see Honolulu (disambiguation). Honolulu is the capital as well as the most populous community of the State of Hawaii, United States. Gay marriage debated "It took gay rights off the back burner Noun 1. back burner - reduced priority; "dozens of cases were put on the back burner" precedence, precedency, priority - status established in order of importance or urgency; "... and into the lap of every conservative right-wing person in America." Janet Redhawk, 38 Boise, Ida. Melissa Etheridge comes out "For the first time there was a role model who was out in the public's face and showing that queers were just like everybody else." Ken Waagner, 38 Chicago, Ill. Matthew Shepard Matthew Wayne Shepard (December 1, 1976 – October 12, 1998) was an American student at the University of Wyoming who was fatally attacked near Laramie, on the night of October 6 – October 7, 1998 in what was widely reported by international news media as a savage murdered "My high school art teacher was brutally murdered in 1981--stabbed 62 times by a couple of drifters who picked him up in a gay bar--and it was relegated to the inside pages of the local paper. I will never forget reading the daily stories of Matthew Shepard's condition and plight in The New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Times and being relieved that it was there for everyone to know about." Kandy S. McQueen, 39 Solsberry, Ind. Tinky Winky outed "It beautifully illustrated the extent of the irrational fear and asininity as·i·nine adj. 1. Utterly stupid or silly: asinine behavior. 2. Of, relating to, or resembling an ass. of the religious right." Shawn Harden, 22 Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids, city (1990 pop. 108,751), seat of Linn co., E central Iowa, on the Cedar River; inc. as a city 1856. The second largest city in Iowa, it is named for the surging rapids in the river. , Iowa Matthew Shepard murdered "It instilled fear and grief in all gays and lesbians across America and especially on college campuses." Jim Ploger, 55 Topeka, Kan. Matthew Shepard murdered "Because it happened in rural, small-town America illustrates that no one is immune from potential hate crimes--and hopefully it will encourage the public to stand up and be counted as not condoning these types of actions." David Williams David Williams is the name of: Musicians
Louisville, Ky. Bill Clinton elected "He's been an imperfect president, but I think we need only recall those two jokers before him to see just how far he has helped bring us in just seven years." Toni Pizanie, 58 New Orleans New Orleans (ôr`lēənz –lənz, ôrlēnz`), city (2006 pop. 187,525), coextensive with Orleans parish, SE La., between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, 107 mi (172 km) by water from the river mouth; founded , La. Matthew Shepard murdered "It united the community, and it also forced a lot of heterosexual lawmakers into supporting gay and hate-crimes legislation." Marguerite Roosen, 42 Portland, Maine Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine, with a 2004 population of 63,882. Portland is Maine's cultural, social and economic capital. Tourists are drawn to Portland's historic Old Port district along Portland Harbor, which is at the mouth of the Fore River and part Gay rights laws debated "Here in Maine ... we contend with the dubious distinction of having the only statewide gay fights law repealed by a so-called people's vote. Despite that, the dynamic of struggle continues with more people committed to not only legislative change but also instilling change of heart." S. Dennis Winstead, 60 Silver Spring, Md. U.S. Supreme Court overturns Colorado's Amendment 2 "It was the first affirmation by the Supreme Court that the rights of gays are indivisible INDIVISIBLE. That which cannot be separated. 2. It is important to ascertain when a consideration or a contract, is or is not indivisible. When a consideration is entire and indivisible, and it is against law, the contract is void in toto. 11 Verm. 592; 2 W. from the same rights enjoyed as a birthright of American straights." Allen Young, 58 Royalston, Mass. Ellen comes out "It brought major media attention to a positive gay character. It's important that we're seen living ordinary lives, not the lives of victims." Ray Esper, 27 Dearborn, Mich. Will & Grace debuts "It tells us that it's OK to be gay. I can just imagine a teenage homosexual watching the show with his parents and using that as a springboard to come out. I wish I'd had something like that when I was younger." Abigail Garner Abigail Garner (born 1975 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an American author and advocate for children with same sex parents. Abigail Garner is the creator of FamiliesLikeMine.com, a website for LGBT families. , 27 Minneapolis, Minn. Ellen comes out "It split the decade's queer history into two parts: pre-Ellen and post-Ellen." Jeffrey Vaughn, 38 Laurel, Miss. Camp Sister Spirit survives "These wonderfully strong lesbians survived physical attacks, a lawsuit, and major harassment ... and ended up surviving well and earning the respect of most." Daniel Cody, 35 St. Louis, Mo. Bill Clinton elected "He put us in the spotlight and legitimized our cause. Now our equality is only a question of when, not if." Larry D. Drane, 54 Billings, Mont. Matthew Shepard murdered "Like Stonewall stone·wall v. stone·walled, stone·wall·ing, stone·walls v.intr. 1. Informal a. , it caused lives to change. Friends in Montana came out at work because people needed to know that those around them could be crucified on a fence." Aleta Fenceroy, 50 Omaha, Neb. Internet use explodes "The Internet brings us together socially, gives us news, and allows activists to disseminate information instantaneously. It connects gay youth and people in rural areas--who may be totally isolated--with a community they can belong to. Many of the key events of this decade (the U.S. Supreme Court's Amendment 2 decision, the fight for equal marriage rights) would not have had nearly the impact they have had were it not for the speed and ease of Internet communication." Janet Danielson, 45 Nixon, Nev. Bill Clinton elected "The very first time a U.S. president actually said the words `gay,' `lesbian,' and `AIDS' brought in a new era whereas we could not be completely ignored by politicians." Peter Condon, 36 Keene, N.H. Ellen comes out "All it took was one person to make a difference, and she did--and provided us with one of the funniest episodes ever put on TV." Michelle D. Piano, 32 Wanaque, N.J. Jon and Michael Galluccio jointly adopt a child in New Jersey "Today we can get custody of a child; perhaps tomorrow we can be married and share the same insurance benefits that heterosexuals do." Rebecca Granato, 25 Albuquerque, N.M. Matthew Shepard murdered "It has shown us that there are people--gay, straight, trans, bi, gender bender gender bender or gen·der-ben·der n. Slang 1. One who dresses or acts in an androgynous manner. 2. Something, such as a theatrical performance or a book, whose portrayal of gender roles is nontraditional or , etc.--who do care for and love each other, and it showed us how a community can come together." Corey Williams Corey Williams may refer to:
New Paltz, N.Y. Defense of Marriage Act passes "It signifies the lingering homophobia still present in American politics." Penny Craver, age not given Winston-Salem, N.C. Ellen comes out "The publicity brought the issue of gays and lesbians to the forefront of the entire country." Vic Fandrich, 58 Jamestown, N.D. Internet use explodes "Because this is North Dakota North Dakota, state in the N central United States. It is bordered by Minnesota, across the Red River of the North (E), South Dakota (S), Montana (W), and the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba (N). , some of us cannot be as open and out as we would like. But we do know now that we are not alone." Becky Benson, 48 Cincinnati, Ohio Matthew Shepard murdered "As an out lesbian, I had heterosexual friends and acquaintances approach me with dismay and regret ... and we also know that there are so damn many more who do not receive the media attention given to Matthew's murder." James Nimmo, 48 Oklahoma City, Okla. Matthew Shepard murdered "The crime was of such a heinous magnitude, it could not be forgotten as just another crime. It could not be spun as just another queer making a bad choice." Jerry Fortner, 52 Beaverton, Ore. Bill Clinton elected "No doubt most activists so preoccupied with how far we didn't go or how far he didn't go are blindly oblivious to how far we've come "How Far We've Come" is the lead single from Matchbox Twenty's retrospective collection, Exile on Mainstream, which was released on October 2, 2007. The music video premiered on VH1's Top 20 Countdown on September 1, 2007. under the very tone set by just one man." MaryJo Miegoc, 23 Carbondale, Pa, Ellen comes out "It showed viewers that lesbians are people who are as funny and intelligent and warm and loving as the next person." David Di Carlo, 42 Warwick, R.I. k.d. lang comes out "I personally dreamed as a young man of being the first openly gay pop singer, so k.d. stole that from me. But who better to rob the torch and twang?" Charlie Smith, 39 Charleston, S.C. Internet use explodes "While we are unequal in terms of many aspects of our lives, the Internet has allowed us to truly have freedom of speech. With it we have removed the power of homophobes to control the definition of who it is that we are, and we now have the power to define ourselves." Tom Heald n. 1. A heddle. , 28 Rapid City, S.D. Tom Hanks wins the Best Actor Oscar for Philadelphia "It meant that an actor can and should be able to take a gay role without fear of it ruining his career." David Kent Westmoreland, 39 Nashville, Term, Matthew Shepard murdered "Until Matthew it was very easy for the public to dehumanize de·hu·man·ize tr.v. de·hu·man·ized, de·hu·man·iz·ing, de·hu·man·iz·es 1. To deprive of human qualities such as individuality, compassion, or civility: [antigay violence], if not altogether avoid and ignore it. Matthew put a face, a body, a soul, a life on what has been going on and still goes on." David Bernard, 42 Houston, Tex. James Hormel appointed as U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg "I hope that through this nomination our country is prepared once and for all to put aside bigotry and prejudice." Seanna Ashment, 40 Orem, Utah Matthew Shepard murdered "It was important to me to see a conservative state like Wyoming .investigate, charge, and sentence [Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney] the way they should have been." Gardner G. Phillips Jr., 42 Richmond, Va. AIDS quilt displayed "[The 1996 display in Washington, D.C.] was a coming together of more than ten years of work in the gay and lesbian community with activists, researchers, and politicians to make a dream and necessity come true." Chris Tebbetts, 35 Burlington, Vt. Gay marriage debated "A successful outcome on this issue would afford us the full roster of state benefits, rights, and responsibilities. Whereas we still have a long way to go, nationally, internationally, and just socially, it would close a loop that has never been closed before." Malena Pinkham, 19 Kennewick, Wash. Ellen comes out "Ellen didn't do drugs, hate men, or try to be a man. She was comfortable enough that American society accepted her, and whether or not they supported her coming-out, they did witness it." Thomas Martin, 33 Martinsburg, W.V. ABC News announces gay vote percentages during the 1992 presidential election "It showed that the gay and lesbian community is a recognizable force and that we do speak out on issues." Andrew Brett, 35 Madison, Wis, Tammy Baldwin elected to the U.S. House of Representatives "She has talked openly about her sexual orientation sexual orientation n. The direction of one's sexual interest toward members of the same, opposite, or both sexes, especially a direction seen to be dictated by physiologic rather than sociologic forces. from the start and has worked very hard in creating equal rights legislation for gay men and lesbians and has been a positive role model for young, middle-aged, and elderly people, both gay and straight." Debbie East, 45 Lander, Wyo. Matthew Shepard murdered "Because of the watchful vigil following the murder, more people have come out, and people supportive of social justice are becoming activists. People are willing to risk taking a position neighbor to neighbor, where fundamental change has a better chance of rooting deeply." Eric Peterson, 28 Washington, D.C. Ellen comes out "As Al Gore said, it forced all Americans to reexamine re·ex·am·ine also re-ex·am·ine tr.v. re·ex·am·ined, re·ex·am·in·ing, re·ex·am·ines 1. To examine again or anew; review. 2. Law To question (a witness) again after cross-examination. their feelings about homosexuality." |
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