"Dr. Henry Kissinger once said to Nelson Mandela that he was a great leader because he had not only taken his society from where it was to where it had never been, but because he had also lifted up his people as an example for the rest of the world of what humanity is truly capable of. I was thinking about this exchange recently while on a trip to Rwanda where the people had suffered from terrible years of recurring genocide, the worst of which was in the 90's. I was led, unexpectedly, to a crowd of hundreds of people, who were looking intently at me, much like you are doing now, only their faces bore the scars, burns, broken limbs, and bashed in skulls from the violence that had occurred. Many of them were children. I stood there for a moment looking into the sea of faces, wondering what on earth, a person privileged like I am, could ever offer to them that would be of any value in their world. It was then I realized that they were the ones teaching me. Teaching all of us. For if they could progress past the hatred that had fueled the extreme violence and into an era of cooperation, of peaceful co-habitation, then we, here in the United States of America, who have not yet gone so far, can do it to.

Look around you. It is the diversity of flavors that makes our food taste good. It is the diversity of color that makes Fall and Spring so beautiful to behold. For wouldn't it be ironic for the tree to say to the flower that it is more deserving of life in the eyes of the earth? Is it not ironic then for any one of us to profess to be more deserving in the eyes of the Divine Whom we all profess to love?

We can return to an equal appreciation of our common humanity.

I was told while in Rwanda that the genocide had been fueled in part because of a radio program where a popular radio host repeatedly called the Tutsi tribe 'roaches' and referred to them as 'a disease that must be eradicated.' This was on my mind only a week ago when driving down the street here in Dallas, I heard a very popular, national radio host come on the air complaining that 'the gays in California lied to us. They said they wanted tolerance, but what they really wanted was acceptance, not tolerance. They want to be allowed to live peacefully next door to us. They want to be allowed to live their lives as accepted and contributing members of society. This must not happen! If they are allowed to do this in California, acceptance of their lifestyle and open existence will spread across the nation like a disease and we must work to eradicate the disease!' Hearing this man say these words and worse, hearing the people who called in thanking him for his fight against the impending 'disease', made me stop in my tracks. I had to park the car and hold back tears. These were the same kinds of words used in Rwanda before the genocide. Now, I am going to say something controversial, and just because I'm sharing this stage with so many admirable civic and spiritual leaders does not mean that they agree with anything I am about to say. That said, let me ask all of you here, take out the noun in that sentence and replace the word 'gay' with whatever demographic you most identify with.

Now, ask yourself, 'How does it feel to be called a disease that must be eradicated?'

Now stand with me now, just stand up where ever you are in this room, stand up against the bigotry our country was founded against. Stand up against the prejudice so many in this room have been the victims of. Stand up in honor of all those who have gone before us, who fought so you and I can stand together on equal ground.

Stand!

Stand in a pledge to all our elders that we will not just take the torch they have borne for granted, but we will promise to carry it during our lifetime, adding to its legacy.

Stand!

Stand in a pledge to all our children that we will not just leave them a world of problems, of hatred, of bigotry , or of prejudice, but that we will fight so that they can inherit a world that values the beauty diversity can bring! Thanks to every one of you who is standing now, for you are the people who inspire me to get up in the morning with the belief that this world which we share can evolve. Thank you for that inspiration!"