Thanksgiving Letters Could be verse. BY SALLY SHEKLOW Each year at this time in the month of NovemberI like to slow down, settle back, and remember That once long ago some remote intellectual Came up with the medical term "homosexual" Physicians and shrinks found themselves very pleased To categorize us and call us diseased They gave us the closet and hoped we'd stay quiet But Gay Pride came out in New York's Stonewall riot   We called ourselves Gay and we thought that was swell Then Lesbians wanted their name in as well Soon the Bisexuals brought us the B And along came the Trannies to give us a T Then Queer folks and Questioning youth called for Q With an I for the Intersex people there, too For Two-spirit people we've added T-S Who else will step up now is anyone's guess   Our list keeps on growing, though some are afraid That too many letters will spoil the parade But most folks are glad and don't mind the intrusion Of more and more outcasts now seeking inclusion Everyone's safer when everyone's in The crowd that the 'phobes say is burning with sin With you and with me in our splendid diversity We're proud to be out despite all the adversity   I'm glad for our list, it makes me feel stronger The more that it grows and gets longer and longer L-G-B-T-Q plus T-S and an I And that's just the start, there'll be more by and by I hope no one cares and nobody gets pissed If I go right ahead and make up my own list A romp through the alphabet seems apropos I'm ready, I'm set, so hang on, here I go   A is for Allies who Always Adore usB for the Bi-s and the Bois in the chorus C our Community pride Celebrations D for us Dykes against Discrimination E is for Educate and for Equality F is for Freedom, Fine Friends and Frivolity G is for Gay, which is Good, Goddess knows H being Happy in comfortable clothes I is for Intersex and all In-betweens J is for Justice for bull dykes and queens K is for Kinky, for Kisses, and Kegels L is for Lesbians, Love, Lox and bagels M is our Movement for Marital rights N is for Networking mornings and Nights O is for Orgasms, Open and Out P for Political Power and clout Q is for Queer and we're here so get used to it R Rude Girls' music and being seduced to it S is for Sisters and Sex, we revere it T for Transgender, add S for Two-Spirit U is for Uppity women United V is for Variant, all are inVited W's Wifey, my favorite by far X the two X's my chromosomes are Y for the Yearning for justice and freedom Ze is the pronoun beyond He or She-dom   This is my alphabet, ev-er-y letter I hope that just reading it makes you feel better It may be a mouthful, a boat full, a tank full, But everyone's awesome and I'm truly thankful To be at this place in our historic struggle (And also to have a sweet girlfriend to snuggle) But mostly to witness the progress we're making Toward freedom for all, what a huge undertaking   The more we come out and express what's inside us The more we make friends who will march right beside us Then more and more people start seeing us clearly Which ups our potential to love more sincerely We open our hearts and we open our minds When we stop to acknowledge that love takes all kinds Thanksgiving's a good time to pause to remember Each year at this time in the month of November Eugene writer Sally Sheklow welcomes your comments at sally@wymprov.com.
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