There’s an old adage that I’m just making up: the sound of an avalanche is the sound of one man clapping.

Well way back in October, in a world of memories I barely remember, that clap began. And boy, has it been gathering speed. For those of you unaware, google Will Phillips. I mean, hell, the kid has his own wikipedia page. In such a simple act as not standing for the pledge, because, face it—we aren’t a land of liberty and justice for all—he tapped into a vein that just about everyone has some opinion on. He’s quickly become a spokeskid for the LGBTQ movement, traveling around the country with his two wonderfully supportive parents, Jay and Laura.

Being a board member of the organization closest in proximity to Will (the NWA Center for Equality), I’ve had the fortune of getting to work with the “Phillips Phamily”—planning protests, organizing fundraisers, even being on the Center’s kickball team together—and having that cooperation turn into a friendship. Anyone who knows the Phillips will tell you that Will isn’t some anomalous, rebellious child. He’s the child of two of the most wonderful and supportive allies I’ve ever met.

This past Sunday, an article was published on the front page of the NWA Times, talking about All OUT June, the Center’s month of activities. We were, naturally, elated at the publicity and exposure. Our elation, however, was soon tempered; not only was the article somewhat dismissive of our community (rather than saying “LGBTQ,” the article merely used “Gay;” while seemingly innocuous, the verbiage swiftly alienates a whole swath of our wonderfully diverse community and denies them of the identity they’ve worked their whole life for) but it raised several misconceptions about the event.

For, you see, All OUT June received $4,000 in funding from Fayetteville’s Advertising and Promotions committee, for the exact purpose of that commission—advertising and promotions. The commission is overseen by several community members who are all part of the hospitality industry—restauranteurs and hoteliers—and awards grants from taxes levied on their own industry. To the best of my knowledge, the grants are awarded to organizations and events in the hope that they will use said money to draw people to events within the city, which will, in turn, bring in more than what was awarded.

But that’s kind of a complex matter to explain, especially to sensationalized crowds who see that “THE MAYOR IS FUNDING SODOMY;” a charge more or less levied every day since that article came out. Being one of the most stereotypical and publicly visible embodiments of Pride, the nay-saying community has turned to the Pride Parade to be held this Saturday, June 26th, at 10 AM, and have sensationalized it by claiming the city is throwing the parade for us. First off, this is a complete fabrication. The Parade is organized by NWA Pride, an organization separate (though no less important) from the NWA Center for Equality. They received no money.

Furthermore, the money we received from the city was not voted upon by the Mayor nor the City Council, and was not intended to promote any agendum—gay or otherwise. Its purpose is to bring money and business to the city. Today, however, the American Family Association has started an email bomb to the Mayor and City Council, with, I believe, the word “GOD” all in caps and something about vengeance. The Mayor, however, has indicated he still supports the parade, and will still issue us a proclamation. (For more information on how to contact the City Council and thank them for their support, see this post on the Center’s blog)

Of course, this all comes around full-circle. We couldn’t forget Will Phillips. He did the grand tour; now he’s doing our tour: he’s the Grand Marshal of the Parade. Begin the onslaught of claims of horrid parents brainwashing their children. And this is, of course, evidence of that most insidious of gay plots—to recruit children. But among all of the hatred spewed at Jay and Laura, none of them seem to acknowledge that, perhaps, Will made this choice on his own and is standing by it. Because they don’t believe that a ten-year-old can have thoughts of his own.

Every morning, I wake up, and the first thing I do is check my email, on my iPhone. Because that’s the world that we live in. Usually, I have three or four, but this week it’s been 12 or more each weekend, updating me of the latest streams of vitriol and hate directed not only at the LGBTQ community of Northwest Arkansas, but at Will Phillips and his family. And why at them? For the audacity of supporting the rights of others.

It’s been kind of stressful, and there have been a few moments that brought me to the edge of tears. But I’ve only received the secondary brunt of it. And I’ve received it because I have to: I’m gay; this is my battle. Jay and Laura, though, have no stock in this: they’re being called horrible parents, daily, by people who do nothing but shout hate. Why? Because they stand up for us, and for their son. Because they stand up for what is right, even though it doesn’t have to affect them.

This whole week has just been going crazy. Lots of mudslinging. Thankfully, they’re mostly all groups far away, and we’ve got tremendous local support. This year’s Parade promises to be bigger than ever, and it’s all because people are willing to stand up. We’re getting stronger, and they’re getting scared.

Let’s use this trouble to become stronger as a community; they’re afraid of us, so let’s be a lot to be afraid of.

Today, January 18, 2010, is a Federal holiday, held in honor of the Civil Rights advocate Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior. It is one of eleven Federal holidays, the other ten being New Year’s, Inauguration Day (when applicable), Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Three of these days are cultural (New Year’s, Thanksgiving, and Christmas), three are related to war (Memorial, Independence, and Veteran’s day), two to foundational fathers (Presidents and Columbus days), and two to Civil Rights struggles (MLK and Labor days). It is unusual in that it recognizes a single individual rather than the entire movement—Labor day honors all workers, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day seems initially to only honor just one of the Civil Rights leaders.

While it is true that Dr. King is probably the most influential (and definitely most remembered) leader of the Civil Rights movement, it is important to remember the he was assassinated in 1968—after the passage of the Civil Rights act of 1965, but a decade before the passage of the Community Reinvestment Act. And though history may seem to show that the Sixties are the defining decade of the Civil Rights movement, it surely must also show that the Sixties didn’t fix everything.

We have this notion in America that the Civil Rights movement is historical—it is something we study, it is something we have a museum dedicated to. This is an utter fabrication. Inequality in America is still widespread. Though we have, for the first time, an African-American President, we also have just one African-American in the Senate (Roland Burriss, the controversial appointment to fill President Obama’s empty Senatorial seat). To this day, there have only been six African-American Senators. There have been two African-American Justices of the Supreme Court, and, with Justice Sonia Sotomayor, one Hispanic. There is still racial inequality in education, in prison, and economically.

And that’s assuming that Civil Rights is just about race. Women are still, to some extent, marginalized in politics. And, as a gay man, I am subject to some of the few existing constitutionally viable discriminatory laws. Whatever your rationale is for opposing Gay Rights, it is fundamentally denying a right to someone—exactly the problem that has always plagued marginalized groups in America. You may not think that I deserve the right to marry a man and adopt a child, you may know it to be a fact. But 100 years ago, people knew for a fact that African-Americans were inferior and thought that women did not deserve the right to vote. To say that no one believes these things today would be false, but to say that to believe them publicly is to cast oneself in a light of ignorance and hatred would be true.

And yet, it is a lesson that no one ever seems to learn—you may deny people in this country fundamental rights, you may enforce against them an increasing number of oppressive laws, but they will fight, and they will win, and history will view you as hateful, oppressive, bigots.

By celebrating Martin Luther King Jr., Day as a remembrance of his service to the minorities of this country, you are acknowledging that the fight for Civil Rights is over. It isn’t, and it never will be. Don’t just go to a vigil for Dr. King. Keep alive his message by fighting oppression everywhere—discrimination is still enshrined in law in this country.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’

Let’s help make them equal.

See also my post on the Civil Rights Museum