There were hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of them
and only a handful of us.
The screamed and they shrieked and they cheered as we passed
yelling, "Thank you. It's great that you care!"
Loudest of all and clearest of all
were the screams that emerged from the eyes
of the hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of them
who watched as we marched down the street.
I carried a sign that stated most clear
my love for my son who is gay.
She stared at my sign
piercing my heart
with her pain.
I left the parade and moved to her side.
I held her in both of my arms.
Her sobs were intense and I tightened my grip
as she whispered her secret to me.
"My mom has disowned me since she found out.
She says I'm not right in the head.
She says that I'm weird
that I'm one to be feared
that I've caused her to suffer such pain.
Do you think that you could
Do you think that you might
Just be my mom for today?"
There were hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of them
looking for parents they'd lost.
There were hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of them.
But only a handful of us.
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On Childrenfrom The Prophet, the writings of Kahlil Gibran
And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said,
Speak to us of Children.And he said:
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you.
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them but seek not to make them like you...
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.The Archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with his might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the Archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable
That's Why We Are Grateful to Them
by Bob Bernstein
We are grateful to our gay children for what they taught us
about truth-telling and respect for human differences.
We are proud of their courage in refusing to lie -
despite society's fierce hostility to their honesty -
about an important aspect of who they are.
We are outraged at the discrimination and physical violence
that is commonly their lot.
By reasonable estimate, there are at least 15 million gay Americans,
most of whom are valuable citizens and valuable family members.
They and their nongay loved ones -
parents, brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents and friends -
number in the scores of millions.So we are Moms and Dads with a dream:
the dream that these millions will one day coalesce in a powerful crusade
for the dignity and safety of our gay citizens.
Our love for our children has brought anger and impatience.
Impatience with talk about "family values"
that translates into hatred toward our gay daughters and sons.
Impatience with those who prevent schools
from providing the courses and counseling
that could save gay teenagers from despair, addiction, and suicide.
Impatience with those who in the name of religion
preach love, but practice oppression.Our gay children have decided -
in defiance of a massive social tide of misinformation and hostility -
that accepting their God-given natures is part of their quest
for authenticity and wholeness.
They have shown us honesty, courage and compassion.
They are gifted and giving Americans.
That's why we are proud of them.
That's why we are grateful to them.