Dear LGBTQ Friends and Allies,
I just wanted to write you a short note, in large part so
that I could simply extend a very big thank-you for the mission that you
fulfill at this school and in the wider community.
As I’m sure you’ve recently seen, a number of issues
affecting the community that you belong to (as well as serve) have come to the
very forefront of public and political discourse, in a highly-publicized and oftentimes
contentious manner. This has happened on
all levels – here in our school, in nearby cities and towns, across our state,
as well has nationally. We have even
garnered international attention (although I don’t think our state and our
country should be at all flattered by what is being said!). All of this has
happened in a very short period of time, and it comes hot on the heels of historic
victories, notably in the area of marriage equality.
Although I am honestly a bit dismayed at the continuing
bigotry, intolerance, and outright hatred that is still evident, I am so much
more overwhelmed, and overjoyed, at the reaction of a growing number of
thoughtful people against those sentiments.
I see people from all walks of life coming to our defense in
compassionate and heartfelt ways; this ranges from small kindnesses like a
simple smiley-face or a “like” on a social media post all the way up to the
Attorney General of the United States, herself a black woman and a native of
Greensboro here in NC, making a historic, heroic public acknowledgement of the
transgender community as well as announcing strong social and legal defensive
measures on our behalf.
What I think is key to understand is that each of you is a
playing a vital part in that struggle whether you realize it or not. Every action you take and utterance you make,
no matter how small or insignificant it might seem, puts a human face on the
issues. The importance of that cannot be
overstated. There is a remarkable
concept that crosses the boundaries of Psychology and Philosophy called the Circle of Empathy, and it refers to
those people around an individual with whom one feels a connection, or in whose
shoes one can and does imagine oneself.
It is a widely acknowledged fact that as our circles of empathy have
grown, societies have become less violent, more tolerant, more just, more
prosperous, and are simply happier. All
of those are very good things, and the first three are especially so in regards
to people like us. So, every time you join
a face and a personality to an act, statement, or an injustice, you are working
to expand everyone’s circles of
empathy. You are connecting yourself as
a living, breathing, feeling human being to a concept or an idea in
someone else’s head, turning it from an abstract into something that matters on
a personal level.
That, more than anything else, is what lies behind the stunning
social and moral progress that is happening all around us now. And make no
mistake that we are experiencing progress that would have been totally
unthinkable, perhaps even ridiculous, not very long ago. You are helping to make all of humanity
itself more humane, and for that, we
owe you such a large debt.
The term “The Greatest Generation” refers to those who grew
up during the Great Depression in the 1930’s and who participated in the
efforts of World War II. I see a lot of obvious similarities between those
truly special individuals and the young people of today, even though the
battles are very different. I strongly disagree with comments I hear about how
the millennial generation is just entitled and spoiled – don’t you believe that
for a second! Surely there are flaws in
each of us, but the younger generations are growing up with compassion,
tolerance, acceptance, and senses of moral and social justice in measures that
are unparalleled in human history.
So, again, thank you so very much from the bottom of my
heart for what you are doing, and also merely for being the wonderful individuals
that you are.
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