we are still here.

tears and blood flow
in the same current
from our brothers & sisters
our brothersisters
our sisterbrothers
our in between &
our all encompassing.


we fight with blindfolds
over our eyes
tape over our mouths
arms & legs shackled.

but we are still here.


we grew too old too soon.

we've seen death;
we've seen birth.


we've marched down streets
& hidden in the dark.

we've built walls to protect ourselves
& we've broken down walls
to join communities together.

we are still here.


we've felt sticks & stones
& names,
we've felt bats.

we've felt misguided eyes
judging from afar,
we've been judged in our own homes.


we've been told we don't know what we want
we've been told that we love wrong.


yet we march & cry out
& sing songs
of victory.


& we mourn
& hide in our homes
& lick our wounds.


& when the dust dies down,
when our fallen are counted
& their names whispered into the night
from the choked up throats of
mothers and fathers
lovers & friends
strangers & cousins..

when the clouds clear,
we are still here.

happy isn't any fun

larry has been 15 for one month
and he's looking down the barrel of a gun
he's got a crush on a peer
and now that peer says "run"
because it's deadly
to love differently

they say gay means happy
well then happy isn't any fun..

across the nation girls are kissing girls
and boys are kissing boys
and it's never that simple

and it is.

love is never that simple.

and it is.

love is like oxygen
breathe it in

they're denying us oxygen
they point their fingers
and they call our love
sin.

we're not fighting for our right to party
we're fighting for our right to marry
we're fighting to carry on traditions
like our forefathers
had before us

we're your doctors
and teachers
preachers
and lawyers
we're constructive members
of society
even though society continues
to shun us
and tell us that we're done
as they sign another bill
that denies us equal rights.

and still we
still we
and even still we
fight

we are not second-class citizens
we won't just go where you
can
fit
us
in
we demand equality
and we won't settle for anything less.

we're told they've done the best that they can
that their hands are tied
but it's all smoke and mirrors
and lies
because they don't want to try
for us.
but they expect us
to do what they want.

we're second class citizens
still you take our taxes
still you want us to vote
even still you want us
to abide by your laws.

so instead of face to face,
hand in hand,
we stand back to back..

it's a draw.

count to 10
and shoot on nine
it'll be just fine
you can rest your head again
they're just second class citizens

you teach your children hate
now look at what your lessons
can create.

why do lives exist
if you're just going to let them drown?
abide by our rules
and then
blow
blow
blow
the man down

larry has been 15 for one month
and he's staring down the barrel of a gun.

they say gay means happy
well then happy isn't any fun..

when will this be done?

it's amazing the harm we can cause with our bodies
passing on these physical
mental
social diseases
and somehow these things don't stir up
a riot
in everyone..
just those who can't take it anymore
these bleeding hearts
who can't let those who've suffered
remain nameless
claimless
hidden behind a cloak of
look-over-there-don't-you-dare-look-over-HERE...

they claim
live free or die!
but what if you're free and dying inside?
but what if you're free falling
because no one cares and no one is calling
to see if you're even alive
every 'I hope you're well'
is curt and contrived
because all we have
are the patterns we've fallen into
all we have are the lives that we've led
and in the end
it's not enough to justify the means
it's not enough to justify the pain
in the end it's not enough to justify the fact
that one victim is still nameless on the tip of
the tongue of our fore fathers
while a thieving cowboy claims
that he did all he could
and the murderers he's hired
to smile and nod
all
smile
and nod
from the comfort of their luxury
chaise lounges
in their luxury houses
watching the view from their 27"
plasma screen television
complete with a pirated copy
of the revolution
because
the revolution
is not being televised

they hide behind religion
like they hide the existence
of separation of church
and state

they think america is the holy land
and that everyone comes here to pray
doesn't matter if you're black, handicapped
or gay
you too can be forgiven
if you just hide the life you're living
repent and pay tithe
while these nice fellas pull the wool over
your
their
our eyes

and when they say 'I hope you're doing well'
you know the truth
because when they forget your name
you realize
those victims are you.