Thy soul is by vile fear assailed, which oft so overcasts a man, that he recoils from noblest resolution, like a beast at some false semblance in the twilight gloom.
Dante AlighieriRead
He was the up and equal homosexual who would not sit at the back of the bus.
Interpretation
This quote highlights the bravery of a person who stands up for their rights and refuses to accept societal discrimination.
Frank Kameny's quote emphasizes the courage required to challenge discrimination and demand equality, particularly in the context of the LGBTQ+ community. It signifies a refusal to be marginalized or oppressed, symbolized by the powerful imagery of not sitting at the back of the bus, which reflects historical struggles against segregation and injustice.
In practice
In a speech advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, you could say, 'As Frank Kameny reminded us, we cannot accept to sit at the back of the bus.'
Thy soul is by vile fear assailed, which oft so overcasts a man, that he recoils from noblest resolution, like a beast at some false semblance in the twilight gloom.
I was the son of an immigrant. I experienced bigotry, intolerance and prejudice, even as so many of you have. Instead of allowing these thing to embitter me, I took them as spurs to more strenuous effort. .
The scum of the earth... but what fine soldiers we have made them.
Don't be ashamed to need help. Like a soldier storming a wall, you have a mission to accomplish. And if you've been wounded and you need a comrade to pull you up? So what?
For the kids out there that are worried about what the future holds, especially the LGBTQI+ kids, our brothers and sisters that came before us didn't fight for nothing. Trust me: we will only move forward, but you need to put your fear aside and find the strength to believe that.
Black Consciousness is an attitude of the mind and a way of life, the most positive call to emanate from the black world for a long time. Its essence is the realisation by the black man of the need to rally together with his brothers around the cause of their oppression - the blackness of their skin - and to operate as a group to rid themselves of the shackles that bind them to perpetual servitude.
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