I tear news clippings from newspapers
to remember flesh and blood martyrs
Now please understand when I say
that I don’t want to get political
But when my life is threatened
due to a passage in a book, I have reason to worry
When my worth is questioned
due to homophobia, I have reason to protest
When I can’t openly walk outside with a partner
without being called slurs,
I have reason to believe there is a problem
Now I was always taught
to hate the sin, not the sinner
But when a large part of my identity,
no, my very existence
is marked as something worthy of the death penalty,
There is definite reason to pause and worry
When Matthew Shepard was lured, tortured,
and brutally murdered for his sexual orientation
When Mark Carson, holding hands with his partner,
was cornered and taunted, and then stabbed
to death for being himself
When Ahmed Said and Dwone Anderson-Young
were trailed after leaving a gay bar,
were called, “Faggots” and beaten to death
while trying to reach their vehicle.
Now In the beginning I said that I didn’t want
to get political,
but believe me more when
I say that I don’t have that choice.
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