Amazeballs LGBT rights pioneer Frank Kameny passed away this Tuesday and if you were too lazy to read our obituary for the man, perhaps you can enjoy Rachel Maddow‘s three-minute rundown of his awesome achievements.
Kameny’s record of awesomeness stretches from the first gay rights lawsuit read by the Supreme Court to a Washington D.C. street named after him. He also witnessed the Presidential repeal of DADT and even donated all his historical LGBT records to the Smithsonian Museum of American History, for their current exhibit.
Most of us will only leave behind a couple of misunderstood tweets and a Facebook Wall filled with Nyan Cat.
Arkano18
Rachel Maddow is so incredibly smart and passionate about what’s right.
Frank Kameny’s fight for opur rights should always be remembered.
Dave
This is why I am a historical revisionist. I don’t care what the fucking excuse is; what’s just never changes, and good people recognize what’s just no matter what sort of evil, moronic society they live in. (Yeah–the idea that what’s right and what’s wrong doesn’t change is a conservative idea, but I’m not gonna hold my breath waiting for members of the US Fascist Party (Republicunts) to act on it.) The Supreme Court justices who were part of persecuting Frank Kameny, along with every other piece-of-shit politician or government servant who has EVER been involved in the persecution of minorities, need to have asterisks placed by their names every single time they are ever mentioned, denoting the fact that whatever else they did with their lives, they also chose to help spit on the purpose and promise of freedom for untold millions of their fellow citizens. It should be carved into their fucking tombstones right underneath their names.
How much longer–seriously, How? Much? LONGER?–are we going to tolerate the veneration of douchebags and asswipes who wouldn’t deserve to be pissed on if they happened to catch fire? Americans need to grow some balls and face the whole truth about our history.
Caliban
I’m reminded by a quote from Quentin Crisp: “In an expanding universe, time is on the side of the outcast. Those who once inhabited the suburbs of human contempt find that without changing their address they eventually live in the metropolis.”
ewe
If ever there was reason to celebrate and pay tribute and respect to our Elders this man is it. What a gem.
the crustybastard
@Dave: “The Supreme Court justices who were part of persecuting Frank Kameny…need to have asterisks placed by their names every single time they are ever mentioned…”
Good point.
It sickens me that I live in a state that has a county named for Chief Justice Roger Taney*, author of the infamous Dred Scott decision.
Justice Scalia continues to applaud Taney, but as usual, he’s unique in his opinion.
Dave
@the crustybastard: Hear, hear. The idea that it is morally legitimate for a free white man to decide whether an enslaved black man should be extended the basic rights of citizenship, is beyond outrageous. That the white man in question (along with 6 of his fellow 9 white justices) would or could decide that the enslaved black man should _not_ be extended those basic rights is an utter abomination on a level that words cannot adequately describe.
Regardless of the time or place he came from or is considered in, Taney* is a truly a sack of shit of epic proportions and doesn’t deserve to have a dried dog turd named after him, let alone a county.
As for Scalia*: Much the same. One might hope that the hateful little cunt would have smoked himself into an early grave by now, but I suppose that the health effects of being a heavy smoker are somewhat mitigated by the fact that he lives a relatively stree-free life, as he is obviously not bothered by injustice–unless the victim is a corporation or government.
Bill Doty
When the Fed Govt told me that I needed a (high) security clearance, I went right to Dr. Kameny – then told them that I had retained him to provide consultation during the process. They got right into lockstep and the clearance completed without further adieu.
Dr. K. had juice.