Above is a photograph of John Lewis being viciously beaten to the ground by pro-segregation police in 1961. Lewis, one of the foremost heroes of the Civil Rights Movement who often had the honor of marching arm-in-arm with Dr King, was arrested dozens of times for nonviolent protest and suffered beating after merciless beating at the hands of racist mobs.

Lewis fought tirelessly for equal rights for African Americans in the 1960s and lived to see that fight won. But more recently Lewis (now a Democratic Congressman) has turned his attention to ensuring full equality for gay and lesbian Americans:

“We cannot keep turning our backs on gay and lesbian Americans. I have fought too hard and too long against discrimination based on race and color not to stand up against discrimination based on sexual orientation. I’ve heard the reasons for opposing civil marriage for same-sex couples. Cut through the distractions, and they stink of the same fear, hatred, and intolerance I have known in racism and in bigotry.

“Some say let’s choose another route and give gay folks some legal rights but call it something other than marriage. We have been down that road before in this country. Separate is not equal. The rights to liberty and happiness belong to each of us and on the same terms, without regard to either skin color or sexual orientation.

“Some say they are uncomfortable with the thought of gays and lesbians marrying. But our rights as Americans do not depend on the approval of others. Our rights depend on us being Americans.”

How much do you really support equality? If you support equality for all Americans regardless of race, why not equality regardless of sexual orientation? How is it fair to say that one kind of discrimination isn’t acceptable but another is?