Who can forget Greg Louganis with his double gold medals at the 1988 Olympic Games, or Billie Jean King's 20 Wimbledon titles and 13 U.S. Open wins?
How about Baron Von Steuben, without whose help the American Revolution may have failed? This of course is just the tip of the iceberg; there are many more gay and lesbian people who left indelible marks on society and civilization. Yet, we gays and lesbians are looked upon as a threat to the very existence of society.
We are denied human rights. We are denied the "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" granted to us in the Declaration of Independence. We can be fired, denied housing, denied marriage even denied the right to make decisions for our loved ones in the hospital, all of which are taken for granted by the rest of society.
So remember a few of the above names, but also remember we are your neighbor, doctor and nurse, attorney, rabbi, minister, mail carrier, waiter, landscaper and maybe - just maybe - you will see us as fellow human beings. Oct. 11 is National Coming Out Day.
Come out and celebrate our accomplishments with us. Together we can make a difference. Robert Niehaus of Sycamore Township, a native Cincinnatian, is a facilities coordinator for a large Jewish congregation and is active in the Human Rights Campaign, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
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