Good editorial says:

As a 57 year old gay male who keeps late hours, I often go to gay bars to have a drink. I make a point of not hitting on younger people, not staring at them or cruising them, etc., but I have still had people make ageist remarks to me. So ageism is a problem in this community. I find it ironic that I am expected to be sensitive (as a white male) and accepting of non-whites, but then hear ageist comments by younger gays directed at me, including by non-white gays. As victims of discrimination ourselves, gays should oppose putting down other people for things over which they have no control. That includes gender, sexual orientation, age, race and ethnicity — with no exceptions. It also means not dissing people for being white, male and straight.

Thanks for writing this says:

Great editorial. I couldn’t agree more. I want to highlight a section and add follow with an experience that upset me while campaigning for No on Prop 8 back in October of 2008.

‘Every person under thirty owes a huge thank you to the many that came before us, who have made possible what we take for granted. We truly stand on the backs of giants. They stood in a time and place where militant action risked it all: job, friends, family, safety and life itself.’

I’m 26 years old and I understood that Proposition 8 was a huge threat to my future and personal life as a gay man. I did something about it. I volunteered my time and efforts to help defeat it. I took action for two reasons. One, the vote would drastically either favorably or negatively affect my personal choice to marry someone I love in the future. Two, I recognize and honor the struggle, work and sacrifice of gay activists that came before I did. They are the reason we have what we have today. I saw the perfect opportunity to do my part for future LGBT generations.

What deeply bothered me was the negligence of many, MANY who are active our LGBT community. During the months that led up to the passing of Proposition 8, many assumed it wouldn’t pass and others just really didn’t care. I saw a lot socializing and schmoozing at gay bars across from the No on 8 headquarters in the last, crucial days. Ironically, I saw many of the same faces during the community gathering at The Center after Prop 8 passed, many of those faces full of disbelief, anger and sadness.

Young or old, activist or non-activist, when the community and our own personal lives are threatened by hate and intolerance, we’re all the same and we need to do our part. If you disagree and don’t think you don’t anyone anything, fine, but you do at the very least owe it to yourself to protect your own interests. A lot of us who enjoy our liberties today are able to do so for a reason - the older generation who made it possible.