From the Vermont Senate Marriage Hearings, a Young Voice
Last week during hearings prior to Monday's Vermont Senate vote which passed the same-sex marriage bill 26-4, 17-year-old James Neiley from Charlotte, Vermont, told it like it is.
Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...
(via slog)
This 42 year old has become a wee bit cynical but this put tears in my eyes. I feel like a haven't done enough to make their lives better
Posted by: frank | Mar 24, 2009 6:11:20 PM
Good for him.
Posted by: Nick | Mar 24, 2009 6:13:10 PM
BRAVO! What a phenomenally articulate spokesperson.
Posted by: JimBeau | Mar 24, 2009 6:13:36 PM
Wonderful - makes me very proud, both of Vermont and of the next generation
Bravo to James and to those who gave him a place at the table.
And I loved the out-of-context "Splenda - fattening" remark also !
Posted by: patrick m | Mar 24, 2009 6:15:03 PM
Amazing!!! That child will see a world where we're not second class citizens and treated like garbage.
Posted by: Bobby | Mar 24, 2009 6:25:56 PM
What a courageous young man. His testimony also brought tears to my eyes. Yet while on one hand he gives me hope for the future it is also so very sad that we are not there yet even with those of his generation -- as evidenced by the harassment he has had to endure. But I thank him for putting a human face to just what it would mean to see marriage equality across the land for us all. Thanks James.
Posted by: robertmalcolm | Mar 24, 2009 6:27:50 PM
Bravo! We need many more openly gay people in my generation (Gen X) to be as outspoken as this young man from generation Y.
Posted by: Sean | Mar 24, 2009 6:29:38 PM
The future of our world is in very good hands.
Indeed.
Posted by: John | Mar 24, 2009 6:34:53 PM
What an amazing and brave young man.
Posted by: dm | Mar 24, 2009 6:43:04 PM
These young kids who are coming out early in their lives are our best culture warriors. No matter how loud the wingnuts spout their lies, these kids are changing social norms by making being gay not unusual or hated to a whole new generation.
Posted by: Sam | Mar 24, 2009 6:48:03 PM
Reminds me of a friend who said:
"The ONLY problem with being gay... is the people who think that being gay is a problem."
Posted by: Jexer | Mar 24, 2009 6:58:40 PM
Andy: If you could get this kids email address, I would love to send him a note. What he did that day was so important. I'm in my 40's now and I would have loved to have had that chance when I was a kid. But, as you know, that wasn't the case. I just want to drop him a note and say thanks. You go Boy!
Posted by: John Izze | Mar 24, 2009 7:08:16 PM
Great job!
Posted by: Marc | Mar 24, 2009 7:18:14 PM
Anyone know where a transcript is. Seems like most every little commercial and shit post on here has a transcript but not this? why come? I'm dying to know what this dude is saying that's making hard-on-ed homo's cry.
Posted by: Aaron | Mar 24, 2009 7:38:08 PM
A brave young man who I admirer ...THANK YOU!!!
Posted by: david lawrence | Mar 24, 2009 7:40:15 PM
Sean, I don't know how old you are, but I am early GenX or the missing Generation, born 1965, so this 17 year old is more like Generation AA.
Very articulate young man. I can see a bright future for him.
Posted by: Will | Mar 24, 2009 7:43:36 PM
well done! good for him!
Posted by: liz templin | Mar 24, 2009 7:48:52 PM
Bravo, young man. Please keep it up. We need you now, and we will need you later.
Posted by: JeffRob | Mar 24, 2009 8:27:42 PM
We need more people like him in the world, and we do, this article neglected to mention that also, 17 year old Gabby Benham, spoke, the straight daughter of a same-sex Vermont couple, talked about how her two Moms have taught her tolerance for others - even those who would deny rights to her own family.
Posted by: Tyler | Mar 24, 2009 8:29:50 PM
Beyond Fabulous!
THIS is the face of the LBGT movement! Not to mention the heart and the soul.
Posted by: David Ehrenstein | Mar 24, 2009 8:40:17 PM
He makes me proud to be in his generation (I'm 18). He's great!
Posted by: CitizenGeek | Mar 24, 2009 8:42:23 PM
It's interesting someone born in 1965 considers himself part of Generation X. To my knowledge, Generation X covers those born in the mid 70s at the earliest and mostly those who grew up under Reagan/Bush I. Apparently now people consider that to be Generation Y, but I was born in the late 70s and grew up thinking I was Gen X. I never heard of Gen Y until I was in college. Either way, I would never peg someone 45 years old as Gen X, but whatever. :)
At least we agree whatever this current generation is that this kid falls in, is picking up the torch for equality and marching forward with as much fortitude as the Baby Boomers had at Stonewall.
I'm happy...and jealous. I only wish I had had the courage and self-confidence to be open and proud of who I was at 17 years of age.
Posted by: Alex | Mar 24, 2009 8:46:11 PM
what an incredible young man, he bought tears to my eyes...tyler here is the link for gabby's speech too
http://mefeedia.com/entry/gabby-benham-march-19-2009/15638995
Posted by: benjamin | Mar 24, 2009 8:51:34 PM
Man, I don't know if I could have ever been as brave and eloquent at his age. Definitely put a lump in my throat. I'm sure we'll have gay marriage in his lifetime but I sure am glad that people like him are helping us to get it in my lifetime.
Posted by: joe c | Mar 24, 2009 9:50:58 PM
Ehrenstein- "LBGT"? What, does the G now move back a space every 5 years?
Posted by: JeffRob | Mar 24, 2009 9:54:11 PM