Emmy award winning CNN anchor Don Lemon acknowledges publicly that he is gay and a victim of child molestation in his new memoir Transparent. I have known Don for a few years and while doing this interview, I detected a happier and wiser man … I applaud his bravery and hope telling his story not only brings him peace, but also enlightens the many readers of his new book.

Don, why this book and why now?
I was approached to do a book about success and, after careful consideration; I thought to myself “why not do a book the makes a difference?” I wanted to write the truth about my life; I wanted to share who I was and where I came from.

You share your experiences of being a victim of child molestation. Who did this to you? How did you cope? How did you recover?
It was a friend of the family. I dealt with each incident individually; I healed in between each of the molestations. I believe grace healed me I was luckier than most that I could disconnect and let it be the past.

I have had the pleasure of meeting your lovely Southern mother. How did she and the family deal withall that was revealed?
The toughest part has been answering questions about my personal life. My mother has always been accepting but now she has had to face public questioning – and it’s tough for a parent. She is strong but I feel for her. Other members of the family don’t understand why I am “airing my dirty laundry.”
Despite all of these challenges, I want to encourage folks to live their truth. Those who have the question, “is it ok to come out” I say YES it is ok.

What have been the positives/negatives of sharing your personal story?
I have had people reach out to me and say that they found the courage to come out and live their authentic lives because I came out publicly – that’s intense feedback. On the other hand I hate that my family has to live through it, too.

The title of the book is “Transparent.” To what does that refer?
There is no question off limits. This book has been liberating and freeing. I hope my candor can help people who are looking for authenticity. As a man who grew up in the South, I understand the challenges facing a gay man, a gay African- American man. I don’t want anyone to harm themselves because of these issues – I feel that as an adult man, I have to help however I can and this is my way.

Don Lemon’s revealing book can be found at Outwrite Bookstore and Brushstrokes.
By Dino Thompson-Sarmiento

Being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender in 2011 means that you are riding a roller coaster of emotions. Some days the news from the front lines of equality is positively buoyant while other days it is downright dreary. You wake up in the morning with good news and go to bed at the end of the day with bad news.

The Past

Over the last twelve months we have seen the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, President Obama has instructed the Department of Justice to stop defending the DOMA (the Defense of Marriage Act) in court, more states passed pro-same-sex marriage laws and Home Depot stood their ground against the anti-LGBT American Family Associations. Ahh, it felt good basking in the glow of acceptance. It all seemed too good to be true. And sadly, thanks to a small, vocal faction of America, it was.
The enveloping glow of acceptance diminished when Speaker of the House John Boehner vowed to defend DOMA in the face of the President’s refusal to do so. Then anti-gay rhetoric got darker with horrible debates on the floor of several state legislatures and the light went completely dark when a rash of anti-gay-bullying related suicides sadly moved across the nation.

With all that said; where does it leave the state of gay America, is there a light at the end of the tunnel that will never go out? The answer is a resounding maybe. As of this writing the light gets brighter with five states plus the District of Columbia offering full marriage equality, seven states offering a form of relationship protection similar to marriage and three other states with some form of relationship protections. And of course the light gets dimmer with the fact that there are now 29 states that have some form of constitutional ban on same-sex marriages.

A spotlight should be given to California for a second because in 2008 California voters banned same-sex marriage with the passing of Proposition 8. That law has since been ruled unconstitutional under U.S. law paving the way for a battle that could lead all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States. If Prop 8 is proven to be unconstitutional under the US Constitution that could mean all the other state bans would not be valid.

The Present

The important thing to remember is each member of the LGBT community has the ability of keep the world of LGBT rights in a happy place by supporting legislators who support the cause. Sadly, in the 2010 midterm election the House had a net loss of 22 pro-LGBT representatives, which means there are now 22 less people helping the community achieve equality.

Equality is not the only fight in this battle. There is also the fight to be certain sexual orientation and gender identity is included in all anti-discrimination acts at both the federal and state level. Also make sure it is included in anti-bullying pieces of legislation as well.

Here in Georgia Jeff Graham, Executive Director for Georgia Equality, points out “Our main focus right now is to get GA House Bill 630 passed.” The bill will prohibit discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Graham also believes, “That we are headed in the right track, but it is going to take a lot of work. It isn’t easy. It isn’t quick, but if the LGBT community works together equality is only a matter of time.” Another positive sign for Georgia: there has not been a single piece of anti-LGBT legislation put up for a vote in over 3 years.

The brightest news off all is the tolerance and acceptance of gays and lesbians is on the rise. According to a recent Pew Research study 58% of Americans believe homosexuality should be accepted. Those numbers are a very good sign given the fact that some polls as recent as 2005 had acceptance at about 45% or less.

The Future

Overall the state of gay American in 2011 is good, not great, but good. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and thankfully it is a reflection from a drag queens favorite tiara and not the oppressive light of an anti-equality train. A lot of positive steps have been made over the last twelve months to help to bring the LGBT community out from the shadows, but there is still plenty to be done before the community can rest.

The road to equality is not a sprint, it is a marathon or at least a 5k. So, what are you going to do about it? Are you going to sit on your bar stool and order another Godiva Chocolate Pomegranate Twist or are you going to get out there and do your part to protect your rights?

The bill passed with 33 Senators voting yes and 29 voting no. The bill passed in large part because of a last minute compromise that protected religious and other organizations from lawsuits if they choose not to perform same-sex marriages.