Today we felt the embrace of a million people in all the diversity of the rainbow as we marched down San Francisco's Market Street and shared our wide-eyed memories of childhood conversations of Uncle Harvey (Milk) in New York and of Mom, "Little Nancy" (D'Alesandro Pelosi) in Maryland and the fact that Harvey and Nancy stood shoulder to shoulder in the San Francisco of the late 1970s -- a time that was so much different from today and the role our families have played in moving San Francisco, the United States and the globe forward.
One legacy born out of the drumbeat call for authenticity -- "you simply must come out" Stuart's Uncle Harvey would shout at Pride, "if we are to destroy the lies and the myths and the innuendoes, you must come out." And of Christine's Mom -- Nancy was present at President Kennedy's inaugural address when he said, "The heart of the question is whether all Americans are to be afforded equal rights and equal opportunities. Whether we are going to treat our fellow Americans as we want to be treated."
We shared the privilege of a family name that gives heart and meaning, a Mom whose gifts are born of broken glass ceilings and whose words continue to message the possible -- "America must be a light to the world, not just a missile" and an Uncle whose message continues to inspire from his prophetic words, born out of a barrel of gun, "Let the bullets that smash into my brain destroy every closet door." We shared the lessons we learned from other amazing American legacies -- Kara Kennedy who said, "the dream of my uncles, Robert and John, did not die at the hands of an assassin, they live on in me and those that continue their work, as we encourage all to remain engaged."
We talked about how Harvey's call, "I am here to recruit you" is the recruitment of new champions for justice where we can both feel the hard-earned joy of increasing equality from so many at home, and still keep vigilant on the also increasing rollback of rights in countries abroad and in the diminishing voting rights here in our nation that so many had fought so long and hard for -- these are all connected struggles, they do not stand alone, justice or equality stand together no matter your sex, your race, your age, your religion, your sexual identity or preference, your income, your physical or mental capacity, these are issues of basic dignity and fundamental rights, that is our common humanity, that our families have had the honor and privilege to work towards and to have our names associated with.
We walked together yesterday, literally alongside one who continues her tireless leadership that remains the light of or nation and we walked in the shadow and footsteps of one who we lost 35 years ago but whose message has brought us so far, giants in the struggle for justice, fairness and human rights.
And as we neared the end of the parade, we asked each other, how will our march continue? How will our generation contribute? And we vowed to keep marching -- together -- in the streets and the corridors of power and at the ballot box for a fully inclusive global community where everyone feels the warm embrace of pride we felt today.