Missives of a Baseball Milquetoast

I shared lots of words in last week's impromptu tribute to Willie Mays and the topic for this post is another one that needs discussion as today is the anniversary of the Stonewall riots which began on June 28, 1969. The police brutality inflicted upon the  gay and lesbian community brought national attention on the desperate need to ensure civil rights in the protection from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. In addition to being an important political moment, one of the  cultural effects was those who were marginalized began to openly "come out" regarding their gender identity. I was born a decade after these events began to unfold and feel fortunate to have gotten to know so many lovely gay and lesbian folks growing up which shaped my inclusive nature early on. I was also inspired by queer icons in entertainment such as Elton John and Freddie Mercury however it was John Waters' 1972 film 'Pink Flamingos' that made the greatest impact on me.