2-03-06, 9:51 am
The Hierarchy of Justice
Pride at Work mourns the passing of Coretta Scott King, 78. Symbolizing the struggle for civil rights, to the end Ms. King fought for equity, access and justice for all.
For all.
Too often I hear that I cannot be African American and a lesbian. That I cannot be a labor activist and an African American. That I cannot be a lesbian and a person of faith. Too often I hear that I must choose one identity, and fight tooth-and-nail for my rights.
One identity!
I hear, amongst liberals, amongst the faithful, amongst the moral defenders that there is a hierarchy. My struggle does not equal your struggle. My oppression is greater than your oppression. My suffering is greater than your suffering. Therefore, my needs supercede yours. My justice trumps yours.
It is an evil game too often played where no one wins. Coretta Scott King never played the Hierarchy Game. She said
'We have a lot more work to do in our common struggle against bigotry and discrimination. I say 'common struggle' because I believe very strongly that all forms of bigotry and discrimination are equally wrong and should be opposed by right-thinking Americans everywhere. Freedom from discrimination based on sexual orientation is surely a fundamental human right in any great democracy, as much as freedom from racial, religious, gender, or ethnic discrimination.' --Coretta Scott King, remarks, Opening Plenary Session, 13th annual Creating Change conference of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Atlanta, Georgia, November 9, 2000.
A champion of civil rights and founder of the King Center in Atlanta, Mrs. King fought to expand our hearts and minds. Rarely has a leader, so passionate and unmoved, persisted on justice. For all. At Pride at Work, I fight for workers' rights and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights.
Make no mistake: I do not play the Hierarchy Game. Mrs. King taught me better.
Pride at Work resolutely stands against the war, we do not support Supreme Court nominee Sam Alito, we insist on truth in the media, we believe in choice, we tout environmental responsibility, and we promote economic equity through a living wage and a union contract. Like Ms. King, we believe in freedom and we detest discrimination.
Let's take our lesson from Coretta Scott King, and expand our hearts and minds:
'For too long, our nation has tolerated the insidious form of discrimination against this group of Americans, who have worked as hard as any other group, paid their taxes like everyone else, and yet have been denied equal protection under the law.... I believe that freedom and justice cannot be parceled out in pieces to suit political convenience. My husband, Martin Luther King, Jr. said, 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.' On another occasion he said, 'I have worked too long and hard against segregated public accommodations to end up segregating my moral concern. Justice is indivisible.' Like Martin, I don't believe you can stand for freedom for one group of people and deny it to others. So I see this bill as a step forward for freedom and human rights in our country and a logical extension of the Bill of Rights and the civil rights reforms of the 1950's and 60's. The great promise of American democracy is that no group of people will be forced to suffer discrimination and injustice.' --Coretta Scott King, remarks, press conference on the introduction of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, Washington, DC, June 23, 1994.
Thank you, Mrs. King for setting on the path of righteousness. It is with a heavy heart mourn your person, your life, your beliefs. We now know that with discrimination, justice and eventually freedom, there no Hierarchy Game. There are no players. There are no winners. There is no debate: Justice, now!
For all.
Please enjoy these other quotes from the esteemed Coretta Scott King:
1996: Coretta Scott King said that King would be a champion of gay rights if he were alive. Frequently, she has said that her husband saw LGBT rights as a civil rights issue.
2004: 'Gay and lesbian people have families, and their families should have legal protection. . . A constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage is a form of gay bashing and it would do nothing at all to protect traditional marriages.' –speech at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey
1998: 'We are all tied together in a single garment of destiny. . . I can never be what I ought to be until you are allowed to be what you ought to be,' she said, quoting Martin Luther King. I've always felt that homophobic attitudes and policies were unjust and unworthy of a free society and must be opposed by all Americans who believe in democracy. . . . For many years now, I have been an outspoken supporter of civil and human rights for gay and lesbian people. . . Gays and lesbians stood up for civil rights in Montgomery, Selma, in Albany, Ga. and St. Augustine, Fla., and many other campaigns of the Civil Rights Movement,' she said. 'Many of these courageous men and women were fighting for my freedom at a time when they could find few voices for their own, and I salute their contributions.' -Speech to Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund dinner
From Pride at Work
