Mr. Heterosexuality, the man who made a fortune off the assumption that every male over 13 wants to see a naked woman, the man who created the symbol that came to stand for heterosexual lust, the man who embraced ‘dirty old man’ and made it charming someone to be on the arm of a blond 50 years your junior… in a way Hugh Hefner led the charge towards accepting gay people. Not by saying or doing anything, really (though he has contributed a great deal over the years) but mostly by just acting as though its just natural that real men – the kind who end up with twin blond goddesses – would like and support gays.

It is kind of a marvel that Heff ran Kameny’s letter before stonewall.

I think we should take his point to heart today. It’s not enough to play defense and try to convince people that “gay isn’t bad” but we have to go on offense telling everyone we know that GAY IS GOOD!

Bless you Mr. Kameny. May you rest in peace until your next life where I hope you come out fighting the good fight again as courageously, tirelessly and effectively as you did in this one.

Everyone (including the great folks here at BTB) who is working or has worked in the trenches must view these kids with a mixture of envy and awe, and a touch of concern that they will never quite appreciate the long struggle that made their world possible. I hope all these kids someday will know the name Frank Kameny and understand that they stand on the shoulders of this giant (among others, of course).