African-American lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) communities have always existed in Harlem, residing here since this former Dutch enclave became America’s Black Mecca in the 1920s.

The visibility of Harlem’s LGBTQ communities for the most part was forced to be on the "down low." But gay Harlem, nonetheless, showcased its inimitable style with rent parties, speakeasies, sex circuses, and buffet flats as places to engage in protected same-gender milieux.

Day by day, two Americas are emerging.

One is split by the vast middle. Most residents of the West Coast and the Northeast share similar values in support of equality and fairness. Then there is Middle America, where hate, discrimination and bigotry are being practiced daily and voted into law, thus creating two separate and unequal societies.

Just as slavery once divided the nation, so is gay civil rights.

Editor’s note: Chrissy Lee Polis, 22, a transgender woman from the Baltimore area, was attacked by two girls in a McDonald’s restaurant on April 18. The incident was caught on video, which went viral on You Tube. The two teenage girls have been charged in the case.

Editor’s note: This commentary was first published by Guardian.co.uk and is cross-posted with the permission of the author.