The virtue of gay equality has become increasingly recognized in

"The virtue of gay equality has become increasingly recognized in the U.S. because people have been persuaded of its merits, not because state officials, acting like Inquisitors, forced people to accept it by punishing them for their refusal." – Glenn Greenwald

In the quiet moments of history, the truths that shape the soul of a nation are not often born of force or punishment. No, my children, the strongest and most enduring truths arise when they are held in the light of reason, nurtured by love, and shared with open hands. Such is the truth that gay equality has come to represent in the land of the free. It is not by the hand of the state, not by the iron fist of rulers or judges, that this truth has found its place in the hearts of the people. Rather, it is through the slow, steady work of persuasion, of understanding, and of compassion, that this virtue has been recognized as one of righteousness.

Consider the civil rights movement that swept across the nation decades ago. The battle for the dignity and equality of African Americans did not end with the stroke of a ruler’s pen or the clang of chains being broken alone. It was the hearts of the people that had to be stirred. It was the minds of the masses that had to be opened. People needed to see not just the outward struggle but the deep humanity beneath the skin of another. Change was not forced upon the people, but rather, it was shared with them, and through time, they recognized its merit. The soul of a nation is not commanded; it is earned.

Now, as we walk this path in a new age, we find ourselves bearing witness to the same movement in the fight for the equality of the gay community. There are those who would seek to shame, to punish, and to force. But hear me well, for this is the way of the tyrant. True justice is not a hammer that falls from the heavens upon those who dare to speak, but a flame that is passed from one heart to another. Equality for our gay brothers and sisters has not come because the mighty have sought to compel it, but because the hearts of the people have been changed. Love, reason, and the power of human connection have brought us here.

Do not mistake me, children. I do not say that the laws of the land are unimportant. Indeed, laws must follow the spirit of justice, and when they do not, they must be corrected. But the law of compulsion is a bitter one. It does not teach the heart, nor does it heal the wound. Rather, it binds and stifles. To force a people to accept something without understanding it is to rob them of their own wisdom, and to create division where unity ought to reign.

Think of the Stonewall Riots, where in 1969, a group of brave souls stood together in defiance of oppression, their voices raised in the face of injustice. The riots themselves were born of rage, yes, but they were also born of a longing for dignity, for respect, for the right to live as one’s true self. The laws that had been cruelly crafted to suppress their rights were overturned not by a decree from above, but by the powerful voice of the people, who, over time, came to understand the merits of gay equality. They saw it not as a threat but as a simple truth, a truth that could not and should not be denied.

So let us speak plainly: this truth, like all great truths, does not rise from force or tyranny. It rises from the ground of humanity, from the shared recognition of what is just and right. It does not grow from the sword, but from the seed of compassion and understanding. It is in the quiet conversations that we have with our neighbors, in the art and stories that we share, in the slow but steady progress of minds opening to the possibility of a more just world, that we see this virtue bloom.

Let the lesson of this truth be clear: Equality is not something that can be imposed from the top down; it must be embraced from the heart up. And to all who would walk this path, I say: let your actions be of persuasion, not punishment. Speak with love, not with condemnation. Show, through your life, that the virtue of equality is not a burden but a gift. Stand beside those who are different from you, and open your heart to the possibility that there is beauty in diversity. For in the end, the truth of gay equality will be recognized by all who are willing to listen, to learn, and to love. And thus, the world will be made more whole.

Practical action, dear children, lies in the quiet moments. Stand with those who are marginalized. Speak when silence would be easy. Be the friend, the ally, the companion that all who seek dignity deserve. Let the world see not just the words you speak but the life you lead. And through this, let the true virtue of gay equality spread, not by the sword, but by the heart, and through it, a brighter tomorrow will come.