October 11th is National Coming Out Day. As an educator in the real estate and mortgage lending sector, I enjoy hearing stories from students about what it was like to sell real estate and originate loans in the 1950s and 1960s, before the Fair Housing Act of 1968 and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974. The young-youngsters in the room are a bit taken aback to hear real-life stories about neighborhood segregation, discrimination against Jews or African Americans, and denying credit to women. Blockbusting, redlining, and racial discrimination as well as mortgage lending discrimination happened to people who are still around to tell those stories because it really wasn’t that long ago.
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Hmmm, I talk about Michelle, and Hugh from time to time. They brought a lot of what we discuss now about different Real Estate business models to the table way back when. Michelle, in particular, wanted a menu of services.
It’s hard to pass lending or Fair Housing legislation when we have state, and federal laws that prevent same sex marriage or make sex between consenting adults illegal.
I think it’s great that there is some level of awareness about sexual politics. At the same time, it is just window dressing to larger legal, and political issues that need to be dealt with, swiftly.
Hi David,
Michele was a strong advocate for buyer agency.
Regarding same sex marriage laws, it seems as though these laws are falling one state at a time. We repealed “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” this year so we’re making progress. Maybe the addition of sexual orientation as a protected class at the federal level is just part of that progress.
Glad you remember Hugh. He died way too soon and I often wonder what he’d think about how far we’ve come….
I didn’t know your friends but I would have liked to.
For six years I worked in the gay community as a patient advocate for people with AIDS, and was a founding member of the Tacky Tourists Clubs of America; we did fund raising.
Sexual discrimination crosses all lines. Rich, poor, black, white, Asian, Hispanic, Latino, or Pacific Islander. It’s not just homosexuality, but sexuality in general that is kept in the closet.
I left the community after the formation of the Northwest AIDS Foundation.
For me sexual discrimination is the most important issue that we have. It is a basic right. It’s along the lines of eating, and sleeping, breathing, or water.