Happy ThanksGAYving!

I just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a VERY happy Thanksgiving. And we sure do have a lot to be thankful for in the Clarksville GLBTQ community.

Thanksgiving Day was set aside as a national holiday in order to give thanks for our great abundance in the United States. Sure, with the current political and religious attitude that threatens every part of our existence, we have a lot to be concerned about.

But consider the last forty years. From the earliest beginnings of the Mattachine Society to the Philadelphia protests to Stonewall, and then finally to the modern gay rights movement, we have a clear track record of progress. Sure, we’ve had some setbacks. But how many of us can say we worked for companies with non-discrimination policies that include sexual orientation even as little as five years ago? Ten years ago? Twenty?

Yes, we have much for which we can be thankful. This is the one time of the year where family is anyone who is welcome. Family, a bond that’s stronger than blood and stronger than religion, links us by our mutual commitment to love and compassion to each other.

Most of us will celebrate Thanksgiving by spending time with loved ones or relatives (the two aren’t always synonymous). Sadly, we’re all familiar with situations that involve a member of the “family” that said they wouldn’t come if we or our partners were decided to attend. Tragic? Absolutely. Common? Alas, yes.

So what can we really be thankful for? We have each other, for one thing. Okay, I know that sounded really cheesy and lame. But we do. We have our friends, our partners, and our community. And this is true now more than ever. For the first time, we have several organized and recognized groups in town that are credible support and activist groups that are working hard to encourage full equality for everyone.

Clarksville PFLAG is one of these groups. Clarksville Pride, Inc. is another. Austin Peay State University has at least one GLBT studies class as well as a Gay-Straight Alliance. And as I’ve said a million times, this is just the beginning. With at least three gay-affirming churches in town (including two Christian churches), we have a variety of ways to plug in to the community.

But we have to get offline to do it. Yikes! I really didn’t intend to get to meddling. But we have our MySpace accounts, our Yahoo Personals accounts (through which I met my wonderful partner of almost four years), our gay.com profiles, those infamous M4M chat rooms, and God knows what else. Hey, leave that mouse alone. Before you switch to another window, ask yourself one question.

Which is more important: my own sex life, or helping everyone gain equal rights and acceptance in society?

Okay, end of sermon. Really. We’ve all worked hard to be positive in our road to full equality, and I’m not so naïve to think that it will be an easy path. But it is a path that we can and must follow.

So what can we be thankful for? Let’s add a couple to the list I just rattled off a minute ago. Liberty Clarksville, the area’s very fist GLBTQ teen-oriented group has just organized and will hold its first Friday night meeting of teens on December 2nd. And Clarksville Pride, Inc. is well into the planning stages of next year’s events. Yes, that’s right. Events. Plural. We can look forward to dinners, dances, and even a formal ball or two! Keep your ears on the rails, my friend, because the train is coming!

With that final thought, if you’re one of those people who has been left out in the cold and told you’re not welcome at your “family’s” holiday plans, then we have a seat ready for you at Christian Community Church of Clarksville’s first annual Thanksgiving dinner. It’s a free dinner, and everyone is welcome, no matter what. We’ll open the doors at 3pm on Thanksgiving Day, and we’ll serve from about 4pm to 6pm.

Don’t bring anything. We’re here to serve you. No gimmicks, no questions asked, and no sermons. Just great cooking and great company.

And to everyone, I wish you a happy ThanksGAYving!

David W. Shelton