Each year at this time in the month of NovemberI like to slow down, settle back, and remember
That once long ago some remote intellectual
Came up with the medical term “homosexual”
Physicians and shrinks found themselves very pleased
To categorize us and call us diseased
They gave us the closet and hoped we’d stay quiet
But Gay Pride came out in New York’s Stonewall riot
We called ourselves Gay and we thought that was swell
Then Lesbians wanted their name in as well
Soon the Bisexuals brought us the B
And along came the Trannies to give us a T
Then Queer folks and Questioning youth called for Q
With an I for the Intersex people there, too
For Two-spirit people we’ve added T-S
Who else will step up now is anyone’s guess
Our list keeps on growing, though some are afraid
That too many letters will spoil the parade
But most folks are glad and don’t mind the intrusion
Of more and more outcasts now seeking inclusion
Everyone’s safer when everyone’s in
The crowd that the ‘phobes say is burning with sin
With you and with me in our splendid diversity
We’re proud to be out despite all the adversity
I’m glad for our list, it makes me feel stronger
The more that it grows and gets longer and longer
L-G-B-T-Q plus T-S and an I
And that’s just the start, there’ll be more by and by
I hope no one cares and nobody gets pissed
If I go right ahead and make up my own list
A romp through the alphabet seems apropos
I’m ready, I’m set, so hang on, here I go
A is for Allies who Always Adore usB for the Bi-s and the Bois in the chorus
C our Community pride Celebrations
D for us Dykes against Discrimination
E is for Educate and for Equality
F is for Freedom, Fine Friends and Frivolity
G is for Gay, which is Good, Goddess knows
H being Happy in comfortable clothes
I is for Intersex and all In-betweens
J is for Justice for bull dykes and queens
K is for Kinky, for Kisses, and Kegels
L is for Lesbians, Love, Lox and bagels
M is our Movement for Marital rights
N is for Networking mornings and Nights
O is for Orgasms, Open and Out
P for Political Power and clout
Q is for Queer and we’re here so get used to it
R Rude Girls’ music and being seduced to it
S is for Sisters and Sex, we revere it
T for Transgender, add S for Two-Spirit
U is for Uppity women United
V is for Variant, all are inVited
W‘s Wifey, my favorite by far
X the two X’s my chromosomes are
Y for the Yearning for justice and freedom
Ze is the pronoun beyond He or She-dom
This is my alphabet, ev-er-y letter
I hope that just reading it makes you feel better
It may be a mouthful, a boat full, a tank full,
But everyone’s awesome and I’m truly thankful
To be at this place in our historic struggle
(And also to have a sweet girlfriend to snuggle)
But mostly to witness the progress we’re making
Toward freedom for all, what a huge undertaking
The more we come out and express what’s inside us
The more we make friends who will march right beside us
Then more and more people start seeing us clearly
Which ups our potential to love more sincerely
We open our hearts and we open our minds
When we stop to acknowledge that love takes all kinds
Thanksgiving’s a good time to pause to remember
Each year at this time in the month of November
Eugene writer Sally Sheklow welcomes your comments at sally@wymprov.com.