Irene Monroe

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COMMENTARY: Obama linking Selma to Stonewall divides black community

The Rev. Irene Monroe - SDGLN Contributor
January 23rd, 2013

President Barack Obama's second inaugural address was the most inclusive speech a president has ever given. It was delivered on the 27th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and the President honored King's legacy when he eloquently spoke of how the many U.S. liberation movements, both current and historic, are interconnected.

"We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths — that all of us are created equal — is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall."

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COMMENTARY: MLK Day reflection on King and LGBTQ justice

The Rev. Irene Monroe - SDGLN Contributor
January 17th, 2013

This Monday, we will mark 27 years of observing Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Some states began honoring Dr. King on Jan. 20, 1986.

King would have been 84. He was gunned down on the balcony of the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, Tenn. by an assassin on April 4, 1968. If he were alive today, he’d see how much has changed in our nation.

Since King's death, every struggling civil rights group has affixed themselves to his passionate cause for justice.

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COMMENTARY: Was there a political correct way for Tarantino to portray black slavery?

The Rev. Irene Monroe - SDGLN Contributor
January 10th, 2013

(Editor's note: Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained" received five Academy Award nominations today: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Sound Editing.)

2013 is making it difficult to avoid one of America’s greatest sins — slavery. We’ve just marked the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, and a plethora of films, documentaries and TV specials are scheduled to address slavery.

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COMMENTARY: America's problem, young white men in crisis

The Rev. Irene Monroe - SDGLN Contributor
December 20th, 2012

The most recent massacre, the one at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, took the lives of 6- and 7-year-olds. It has shaken our nation to its core.

The enormity of this devastation is incalculable. There are the small coffins of the victims killed during a holiday season at a tender age. It is also the death of the safety of a Norman Rockwellian. We now know that none are safe.

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COMMENTARY: Malawi’s LGBTQ’s short-lived freedom

The Rev. Irene Monroe - SDGLN Contributor
November 15th, 2012

I’d like to believe that Malawi's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) citizens and tourists had a few days to breath easier.

On Nov. 5, the government issued a moratorium suspending all laws decriminalizing homosexuality. Three days later, on Nov. 8, homosexuality was illegal again.

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COMMENTARY: Reflecting on GLAD’s diversity work

The Rev. Irene Monroe - SDGLN Contributor
October 26th, 2012

I was lounging on the sofa watching a rerun episode of "The Bernie Mac Show" when the FedEx truck stopped in front of the house. The mail courier handed me a letter that stated the following:

"Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), New England's leading legal advocacy organization and a national leader on LGBT legal issues, is thrilled to invite you to be honored with the Spirit of Justice Award at the Boston Marriott Copley Place on Friday, October 26th."

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COMMENTARY: Latino activists join with marriage advocates. Will it work?

The Rev. Irene Monroe - SDGLN Contributor
October 18th, 2012

The kerfuffle concerning undocumented immigrants and legalizing same-sex marriage are usually competing and unresolved hot-button issues for voters heading toward the ballot box. Immigration advocates and LGBTQ rights groups have long tried to get its constituencies working together.

Historically, the efforts have been abysmal.

But organizations like Casa de Maryland, a community organization advocating for undocumented immigrants has formed an alliance with Equality Maryland and the Latino GLBT History Project.

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COMMENTARY: Will Obama’s support of marriage equality keep some blacks home on Election Day?

The Rev. Irene Monroe - SDGLN Contributor
September 20th, 2012

African-Americans have worked hard to get the vote and to get a man of African descent in the White House.

In 2008 we came out in unprecedented numbers with Obama taking 95% of the black vote, thanks to the help of his biggest support base -- African-American ministers and their parishioners.

In this 2012 presidential election, Obama's biggest support base will dropped precipitously. And it will be because of both the Democratic Party's and Obama's pronouncement on marriage equality.

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COMMENTARY: Nothing new in GOP’s anti-woman, anti-gay platform

The Rev. Irene Monroe - SDGLN Contributor
August 23rd, 2012

The GOP's anti-abortion platform hasn't changed — it is identical to that of its 2008 platform, allowing abortions only in cases of rape and incest.

The GOP's anti-gay platform also hasn't changed — it is identical to that of its 2008 platform, allowing marriage only between a man and a woman.

The Grand Old Party’s future, which includes a younger generation of social conservative and LGBTQ voices, depends on its ability to have open discussions about abortion, reproductive coercion and gay rights.

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COMMENTARY: At 42, Paul Ryan is out-of-step with his generation

The Rev. Irene Monroe - SDGLN Contributor
August 14th, 2012

On paper, you’d think a 42-year-old Republican would be up to speed on marriage rights, and might even, given his age, be tolerant.

To my surprise, Mitt Romney's vice presidential pick, U.S. Congressman Paul D. Ryan from Wisconsin, is not only no ally to our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) communities — he’s completely ignorant of our struggle.

When it comes to the issue of marriage equality, Ryan has consistently voted it down.

In defending his stalwart stance for a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage Ryan stated:

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