Al Gore has the courage to speak the truth
By Mitchell Gold
Founder, Faith In America
Yesterday former Vice-President Al Gore made a video clearly expressing his view that gay people should have full and equal rights….and that includes marriage.
I would like to ask you to take a moment to concentrate on this letter during your busy day. It literally could help save some lives today and countless others in the future from the fear, isolation and depression that one faces as a young gay first realizing what your sexual orientation is.
Al Gore is the guy who more than 30 years ago warned America of the harms of global warming and not enough people took him seriously. And the press did not do enough investigative journalism to educate the citizenry that this was in fact a serious issue.
Al Gore is the guy who just a few years ago warned America that invading Iraq was a horrible mistake. I was sitting in the front row listening to him deliver this speech in San Francisco. I was shocked that evening to see how the news portrayed his speech. It was dismissive. Not enough people took him seriously. And the press did not do enough investigative journalism to learn the facts about what has turned out to be one of America’s greatest debacles.
Once again, Al Gore is a step ahead with his vision of a just world. I believe Al Gore made this statement because he is just tired of sitting back and seeing people he loves and doesn’t even know be the recipients of the real harm caused by those who have as a priority to marginalize and dehumanize gay Americans. Al and Tipper Gore know that today, as I write this letter to you, there are untold thousands of teenagers who are desperately struggling with the reality that they are gay. Will they lose their family if they find out? Will they lose their friends? Their church? Will they get beat up at school? Will they get killed like Sean Kennedy last May? Who can they talk to? I know the fear and terror of this isolation. I know that some will commit suicide. I know because when I was a teenager I was not just constantly depressed but suicidal. For the grace of I don’t know what, I am here today. I somehow had the strength to get through it.
Imagine if you are a teenager today in Hope, Arkansas. Child of a Southern Baptist family….maybe your father is a preacher. Close your eyes and think about the fear and isolation I’ve described.
Al Gore gave America another wake up call today. Will you take him seriously and really search to understand what he is talking about? Do you see his vision? Marriage is not the issue. Full and equal rights is the issue. I want to encourage you and help you investigate what it means to a teenager to be gay today. You might think it is easy to come out, but it is not. Where my factory is in rural North Carolina I see and know the religion-based ignorance and fear.
I was in Los Angeles yesterday. A few hours after Al Gore’s announcement, I was at the offices of the Trevor Project listening to phone calls from gays contemplating suicide. Hopefully, I helped save a life or two.
Several years ago I spent a weekend at the Gore’s home. It was just Al and Tipper and myself. I really didn’t know him that well and got the chance to have long conversations (as well as get a one on one of his climate slide presentation that has now become quite famous!!!). Once I got over the intimidation of being with him and the awe, I decided to really probe on a wide variety of issues that interest me. From health care to all kinds of questions about foreign countries to poverty and to, of course, gay rights. After about a day and a half I looked at him at one point and simply said “you know, you are a good Christian. Why didn’t you use that in your campaign?”
Al Gore is a sincere Christian. Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, James Dobson and on and on are not. I mean this nicely and sincerely when I say that I challenge you to stop accepting these people using their code words like ‘social conservative’ (aka bigotry) and the like. Ask them what they really mean by ‘traditional marriage’ or ‘family values’. They are the ones who are espousing religion-based bigotry. Let’s call the disease by it’s real name.
The economy, war in Iraq, Iran, Lou Gehrig’s disease, universal health care…..these are all incredibly difficult and complicated issues to solve. Gay teen depression and suicide? Easy to solve. You have the responsibility and power to expose the hypocrisy of religion-based discrimination. You have the ability to show that it has been used in the past and was wrong…and evil….and is today as well.
Please forgive my passion and if I’ve been too forthcoming to you. Or if you feel I am being hard on the media. I just can’t stand to see another day go by where a teenager might be going through what I did. Let me know however I can help you understand this horrific problem. Gay rights is not just about a middle class couple who might not have visitation rights, or a person being fired from their job or denied housing.