Best.Gay.Week.Ever! An All-American (Gay) Hero!

A PICTURE MIGHT BE WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS. TOO BAD ONE OF THEM WASN'T "GAY"
While it's ludicrous to say anything "positive" came out of the horrible shooting in Tucson last week, those events have given the GLBT community one very remarkable development — a bona fide hero who happens to be an out gay man. That hero is twenty-year-old University of Arizona student Daniel Hernandez, Jr. who is being so lauded for his actions that he not only spoke at the memorial for the victims on Wednesday night, but sat to the right of President Obama.

I confess that because I've been attending the TCA in Los Angeles this week, I haven't been able to follow the coverage as much as I would've liked. So what I can't say with any certainty is whether or not the fact that Hernandez is gay has been widely reported. I do know, however, that even Rachel Maddow failed to report that fact earlier in the week, so that makes me wonder how many other journalists are either unaware or leaving that info out.

Some might argue that the fact that Hernandez is gay is irrelevant, but given how many rights gay men and lesbians are still denied, I'd strenuously disagree. For the portion of the country that still opposes gay marriage, gay adoption and gay visibility in general, knowing that the man who went to the aid of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is gay can change their minds.

Which is why I was disappointed President Obama didn't mention that fact during his speech which he delivered shortly after Hernandez spoke. Don't get me wrong — I don't think a huge deal needed to be made out of it, nor do I think Obama left it out deliberately or should be chastised for not including it.

But listening to Obama's speech, we learned personal details of almost everyone else involved; details that made it clear they were straight including who who was married, who was engaged, and who was a grandparent. We also learned how many folks were Christian and involved in their churches. How awesome would it have been if President Obama had simply used the word gay at one point while praising Hernandez? Millions of Americans who will probably otherwise never know that fact about him, might have been forced to reassess their idea of what it means to be gay.

Hernandez on The Rachel Maddow Show

And imagine the difference that would've made to gay and bi men of color who are often practically invisible in the popular culture.

Ironically, gay folks aren't the only ones who wish a biographical aspect of the newly minted hero was getting more attention. Some in the Hispanic community wish that fact that Hernandez is Hispanic was being stressed more. Given how Arizona is currently treating both Hispanic and gay issues, I wholeheartedly get their point.

Next page! I blame it on the Nyquil!