From the new hate crimes law to the repeal of DOMA and 'Don't

“From the new hate crimes law to the repeal of DOMA and ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ to the emerging popular support for marriage equality, we are making progress at breakneck speed. As someone who has dedicated most of my career to civil rights law, I am deeply moved by this sea change and proud to have done my part.” — Tom Perez

In this declaration, Tom Perez speaks as one who has walked the long road of justice and seen the tides of history turn. His words are not of triumph alone, but of reverence — reverence for the generations who suffered, fought, and persevered so that equality might one day be more than an idea. The world he describes is not one born easily, but forged through pain and persistence. The new hate crimes law, the repeal of DOMA and Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and the rise of marriage equality — these are milestones not merely of legislation, but of conscience. They mark the moments when humanity rose a little higher toward its better self.

From the ancient days, humankind has always wrestled with the meaning of justice. Empires have risen and fallen upon their treatment of the powerless. The laws that once protected only a few eventually gave way to the cries of the many. In this eternal struggle, Perez stands as a witness — a man who has seen the arc of justice bend and who has placed his hand upon it to steady its course. His pride is not the vanity of accomplishment, but the humility of service to civil rights, a cause older than any government and as sacred as the breath of life itself.

Consider the story of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to public office in California. Milk’s voice, silenced by violence, became immortal through the courage it inspired. He once said, “Hope will never be silent.” His death in 1978 sent shockwaves across America, and his dream — of love without shame, of equality without condition — lived on in every heart that refused to bow to fear. Decades later, when DOMA was repealed and marriage equality became law, it was as though the seeds Harvey Milk planted finally bloomed. This is the sea change Perez speaks of — the transformation of a nation’s moral landscape.

The repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ was another such turning point. For years, those who served under the flag of freedom were forced to hide who they were, to live in the shadows even as they defended the light. When that policy fell, it was as if a chain had been broken — not just for soldiers, but for all who had been told that dignity must be traded for acceptance. The hate crimes law, too, was a declaration that violence against identity would no longer be tolerated. Each of these victories, together, form the rhythm of justice’s march — slow, relentless, and unstoppable.

Perez’s reflection reminds us that progress is never a gift; it is a victory wrestled from the grip of resistance. To move “at breakneck speed,” as he says, is not to run recklessly, but to run with purpose — because the world cannot wait for justice to come at leisure. The LGBT community’s struggle is but one verse in the universal song of liberation, harmonizing with the cries of abolitionists, suffragists, and civil rights leaders who came before. The law may change in an instant, but hearts and minds must continue to be reshaped by love, understanding, and truth.

In the spirit of the ancients, we must see this not as the end of the struggle, but as its continuation. Every generation inherits both the light of progress and the shadow of prejudice. The task of the living is to move the light forward. We must defend the dignity of all — not because the law commands it, but because conscience demands it. For the law without compassion is brittle, and compassion without courage is powerless.

Let the lesson of Tom Perez’s words be this: rejoice in progress, but never rest upon it. Each victory must be honored with renewed effort; each step forward must be matched with the will to go further. Reflect upon how far we have come — from silence to speech, from fear to freedom — and let that reflection ignite the fire of action. For the true measure of civilization is not how swiftly it rises, but how steadfastly it lifts all souls to stand in the light of equality, together.