I cried for the country I had forgotten was with me, not against me. I cried for the country I thought was dead but had suddenly risen from the grave. I cried for all the martyrs of the American Dream, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Harvey Milk, Addie Mae Collins, James Chaney, Brandon Tina, Jonathan Daniels, James Byrd and the multiples of others who died because of the color of their skin or their denial of denying themselves and they stood up and said, “Yes we can.” I cried because I had given up on the USA and no longer felt the pride I had felt so many years ago to stand up and salute the red, white and blue. I was both proud and humbled.
jaysays.com – Let Freedom Ring (or I the Homosexual)
I woke up the morning of November 5th, 2008 feeling like I was part of the world again and went to bed feeling defeated and empty. That morning, I felt like an American and I was ready to take on the responsibility that comes with such an elusive title. But I was shown again that in spite of what we learn, we are not born American but must be accepted as Americans.