Speaking Out (of his mind!)	Speaking Out Archive

[With the recent death of Harry Hay, Lester Grubbé's observations about a 1986 incident couldn't be more timely --Editors]

It is reassuring indeed to discover that some organizations spawned by the gay rights movement are willing to observe a modicum of good taste and decorum. Their actions on behalf of all of us, to straighten out our collective image, often go unheralded. This is a shame. I think our community would greatly profit by taking note of their efforts.

Take, for example, Christopher Street West (CSW), the organizers of the Los Angeles Gay Pride March. I was pleased to learn recently that they prevented the long-time homosexual militant, Harry Hay, from marching while wearing a sign saying "NAMBLA walks with me." The nerve of this man!

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People like Harry Hay have a long and sordid history of agitating for gay causes. In his case it spans decades. Obviously he has never learned the importance of being respectable and appealing to straight sensibilities.

For anyone who may be unfamiliar with the dreaded acronym, NAMBLA, it stands for North American Man/Boy Love Association. CSW, in explaining their action, pointed out that man-boy love is not a gay issue. Quite right! If it were, we would be forced to accept the decadent Greeks with their vile tradition of pederasty as a part of the homosexual heritage. Can you imagine the ridiculousness of a Socrates or Plato (who openly practiced and extolled man-boy love) trying to elbow their way into a gay pride march? Fortunately, we know that if CSW were in charge of the parade, both these degenerates, along with any of their sleazy cohorts, would be sent packing.

As impressive as the policies of CSW are in protecting the purity of those who would march or speak for gay rights, I can only hope that next year they take the obvious next step: prevent any openly gay or lesbian person from marching!

This would have several beneficial effects. First of all, it would greatly enhance the respectability and acceptability of the marchers. Let's face it, the most offensive thing about homosexuals to straight people is their homosexuality.

Equally important, by only permitting "straight" people to march, the parade organizers would allow all those closeted people eager to stand up for gay rights to do so. The beauty of such a demonstration is that it would involve no personal risk or sacrifice. On the contrary, appearing in the gay pride parade would be a means of signifying that one is straight since homosexuals would be officially disallowed.

Of course, it is quite possible that the visionary members of CSW are one step ahead of me and already plan to incorporate such a rule into next year's parade. If so, I hope I haven't spoiled their surprise. At any rate, I am confident that with leadership like that provided by Christopher Street West, in the coming years, gay pride will take on a whole new meaning.