"I've grown up with a lot of people and I'm good friends with a lot of people who are gay and I think they should have the rights all people should, and I'm not going to swear that they do."
This from the mouth of one brave ten-year-old on CNN this Monday - when many leaders of the free world (including the esteemed Barack Obama) still don't believe in equal rights for gays.
Will Phillips is an Arkansas elementary student who refuses to say the pledge of allegiance in school because of discrimination against gay people - on October 5, when the other kids in his class stood to say the pledge, he remained sitting down, and has done the same ever since, despite the depressingly predictable "gaywad" taunts from other students (pity so many grown men and women display the level of maturity of the taunters, rather than the courageous young Mr Phillips).
Will, who wants to become a lawyer, and his parents, Laura and Jay Phillips, who support him fully - they print off messages of support for him to read - are an inspiration.
Why is Will Phillips so important? Because people are attacked - verbally and physically - every day because of homophobia. People die because of homophobia. This year, a civil servant named Ian Bayhnam was set upon and murdered in Trafalgar Square, London, for nothing more than the heinous crime of being a man who falls in love with men. Until gay people are treated as equals before the law, bigots will go on thinking that its okay to be homophobic, that gay peoples' lives are expendable because of their sexual orientation.
So, my first post is dedicated to Will Phillips, the 10-year-old who is trying to make a difference, and in doing so has shown more maturity, reason and courage than many adults.
Watch Will on CNN:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOcAWn7Rp9s
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