The Stepfather of Soul Supports National Coming Out Day!

Harrison Kennedy - Closet Queen

In addition to today being Columbus Day, today is also National Coming Out Day, a day designed to promote equal treatment of homosexual, bisexual and transgender people by encouraging them and their straight allies to "come out" in favor of the cause. I stand today as an ally to the cause because in America in 2010 there's no reason to stand idly by while rampant discrimination exists on a daily basis.

Now, I'm sure some of you will say, "how can you do 'Sunday Gospel Time' posts on this blog but support gay rights?" My answer is simple: no matter what your religious beliefs are, it's impossible to condone the bullying of gay youth (even to the extent that these kids commit suicide), or to deny a gay person from making decisions regarding their partner's health care in a time of medical crisis, or to support the denial of marriage licenses to gay people when any fool can go to a courthouse or Las Vegas and get married, or even to have groups like the Westboro church showing up at military funerals to spout hatred while hiding behind their First Amendment rights. I believe that even if my religious heritage does not endorse homosexuality, I am certainly unqualified to judge others; Lord knows I've got my own problems!

Back in 2007 I featured Harrison Kennedy's "Closet Queen" on this blog, and today I'm going to "re-up" the song. To take such a pro-gay stance on a soul record in 1972 was pretty heavy, and it ensured that the song would remain strictly an album cut on Kennedy's Hypnotic Music LP. (In today's world of hip-hop braggadocio I'm sure such a message would still receive limited airplay.) The message of the song still rings true today, however, so I dedicate it to all who are participating in National Coming Out Day. Kennedy's question from the song still makes sense: "Is it the different ways we love that hurts? Or the different ways we hate?"