Recently I wrote an editorial that was published in my hometown newspaper claiming the gay rights movement to be the new civil rights movement. Apparently I should have sent it to the Auburn newspapers.
On an average Wednesday night in Auburn I was enjoying myself at Quixotes, having a couple drinks, talking with friends and dancing.
Unfortunately my night was ruined when someone from the security personnel had to pull the guy I was dancing with away from me and tell him the following: "If you are going to dance with him, keep some space. There have been complaints."
I had been previously misguided in thinking that Quixotes was a safe place for gays and lesbians in Auburn. Quixotes staff allows heterosexual and lesbian people to dance however they please, but sadly this privilege is not extended to gay men.
I must be careful not to place all of the blame on Quixotes staff members because, as he said, his actions were based on the complaints of individuals within the bar. This is reminiscent of the kinds of policies that disenfranchised African-Americans before 1964.
It is the year 2012 and equal rights are still not afforded to all people in this country. Regardless of one's individual stance on gay rights, they still do not have the right to impose their beliefs on another. I understand that customers with individual bigotries are still economically beneficial to Quixote's, but I, and many other Americans, would have appreciated it if the staff of the bar had stood with us. It is a large establishment affording the complainers the opportunity to move where they could not see me dancing if they pleased. It is my hope that this letter reaches the humanity inside of each read er allowing them to identify discrimination and the impact it has on its victims.
Lucas Gosdin
senior, social work
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