![]() ![]() More and more, gay celebrities and celebrity-hopefuls are proudly coming out of the closet much earlier in, or even at the very start of, their careers. Even an openly gay “average Joe” with access to the Internet can make his or her ideas known to the world. and Europe export to the rest of the globe. ![]() This year, Brazil, France, New Zealand, Uruguay, England, and Wales granted full legal recognition to same-sex marriages.Īlso, unlike in Wilde’s time, today openly gay writers - not to mention actors and musicians - are prominently featured in popular art and entertainment that the U.S. Elsewhere in the world, countries made even greater strides. This landmark decision immediately opened the door to over a thousand marriage benefits that married same-sex couples can now enjoy in full equality with their heterosexual counterparts. In June, the United States Supreme Court issued a critical decision that declared the part of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act denying same-sex married couples federal marriage benefits unconstitutional. In tribute to Wilde’s 159th birthday today, I use his poignant statement not only to illustrate how far the world has come in treating LGBTI people with dignity and equality, but also to show how far we still need to go.Ģ013 has been an unprecedentedly historic year for LGBTI people throughout the world. ![]() This statement by one of history’s greatest playwrights refers to Wilde’s arrest for “ gross indecency with men,” a charge for which he was convicted and sentenced to two years in prison. For half an hour I stood there in the grey November rain surrounded by a jeering mob.įor a year after that was done to me I wept every day at the same hour and for the same space of time." - Oscar Wilde As soon as they had been informed, they laughed still more. That was, of course, before they knew who I was. Each train as it came up swelled the audience. I had been taken out of the hospital ward without a moment’s notice being given to me. From two o’clock till half-past two on that day I had to stand on the centre platform of Clapham Junction in convict dress, and handcuffed, for the world to look at. “On November 13th, 1895, I was brought down here from London. ![]()
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