Maya Keyes speaks at gay rights rally

Maya Marcel-Keyes, the lesbian daughter of conservative Republican Alan Keyes, who is currently featured in an exclusive interview on Advocate.com, appealed to several hundred people at a rally in Annapolis, Md., on Monday to provide more support for gay and lesbian young people who have been deserted by their families and too often wind up being victims of violence on the streets. In her first public appearance since her sexual orientation began to attract public attention, Marcel-Keyes said she was motivated to speak out because of the illness and recent death of a high school friend who was thrown out of the house by his family and by her own relationship with her parents.

At home, “things just came to a head. Liberal queer plus conservative Republican just doesn’t mesh well,” she said at the rally, sponsored by Equality Maryland to protest a proposed state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and support bills aimed at guaranteeing more rights for gays. “That was making my life a little bit turbulent,” she said. (source)

I can see why her life would be very turbulent being a lesbian in the home of Republican Alan Keyes. Here are some memorable quotes from Alan Keyes:

“In a homosexual relationship, there is nothing implied except the self-fulfillment, contentment and satisfaction of the parties involved in the relationship. That means it is a self-centered, self-fulfilling, selfish relationship that seeks to use the organs intended for procreation for purposes of pleasure. The word pleasure in Greek is hedone and we get the word hedonism from that word.”

“You have intervened in order to try to personalize the discussion of an issue that I did not personalize. The people asking me the question did so and if that’s inappropriate, blame the media. Don’t blame me. If my own daughter were a homosexual or lesbian, I would love my daughter, but I would tell her she was in sin.” (source)

Well, apparently, you will have that opportunity Mr. Keyes. Since you made those statements, your own daughter has come out as a lesbian. Now, I suppose you can shun and turn her away as well.

The point I’m trying to make is that when people make derogatory and hurtful statements about gay people, they really should stop and think that maybe some of those who they consider good friends or perhaps even members of their own family, may be gay or lesbian, and are afraid to tell anyone for fear of losing the friendship.

I myself can not count the times that such a thing has happened to me. I trusted the person who I called friend only to have him or her turn around and say some horrible thing about what they think about gay people.

At that point, the friendship has problems. I can try to keep the friendship going and avoid the subject altogether, which is really futile because sooner or later, they will find out. But what has died at that moment in the friendship is trust. Once trust is gone, the lifespan of the friendship is in jeopardy.

Alan Keyes released a statement Monday night saying, “My daughter is an adult and she is responsible for her own actions. What she chooses to do has nothing to do with my work or political activities.” (source)

She’s your daughter. Does that mean nothing to you? If it doesn’t, you will lose her. And, you deserve too.

Further reading:
Anti gay bias hits home