Keith Olbermann: LGBT Hero

For the second time that I can recall, Keith Olbermann delivered a rousing speech in favor of gay marriage.  The last one that I recall was after that heinous Prop H8 was passed; at the time Olbermann gave an impassioned plea to this nation (and the hate-mongers) to knock their shit off.  My words, not his.

This equally-charged monologue was delivered just BEFORE New York passed the gay marriage bill, so it was a particularly ballsy move on Olbermann’s part, because despite the fact that it looked as though the bill was going to pass, that thing could have gone either way.

Here is an excerpt from last Thursday’s “Special Comment” from Olbermann:

“A brief comment tonight about the continuing fight over same sex marriage and the tipping point for or against, represented by events here in New York State.  The tipping point of course is temporary; every year the margin by which this country supports this grows, and within a decade, or perhaps less, it will be universal in this nation. Period.

Ironically this is not because there is not great advocacy for it, but simply out of an inability out of younger people in this country to do what older ones still can: to pretend that this matters anymore.  It just doesn’t.  It won’t destroy the democracy; it doesn’t destroy the family; it strengthens the institution of marriage and its principal premise of fidelity; and it increases the number of people living in stable and loving homes.

This is, corny as it seems, not about politics or religion or power or lobbying.  It is about love.  In a time of impermanence and fly-by-night relationships these people over here want the same chance at permanence and happiness that is already yours.  They don’t want to deny you yours.  They don’t want to take anything away from you.  They want what you want: a chance to be a little less alone in the world.  And your acceptance of their love turns out to be your own expression of love to your fellow human beings.”

I absolutely love this guy.

Olbermann closed the show with a quote by Omar Khayyám ,”So I be written in the Book of Love.  I do not care about that Book Above.  Erase my name, or write it as you will.  So I be written in the Book of Love.”