Marco McMillian's funeral was this past Saturday. While many gathered to say goodbye to him, no one talked about or mentioned his gay life. In fact, no one spoke... There was nothing but silence.
Janell Ross at HuffPo reports:
At the end of a long center aisle sat a slate blue casket. The swollen, partially charred body of her only son, Marco McMillian, lay inside, obscured by a gauzy white veil. She nearly fainted and did not speak.
Instead, between a gospel choir’s offerings, national and local dignitaries drew attention to McMillian’s drive, talent and intellect. McMillian’s own family, friends and fraternity returned again and again to McMillian’s decision to move back to his small Mississippi hometown and run for mayor, his high-wattage smile, his fondness for debate and habit of referring to family and friends as “my love.” But not one person spoke into a microphone Saturday about the precedent McMillian had already set before he died.And...
It’s difficult to parse what portion of the silence around the precedent-setting nature of McMillian’s campaign or even the much-debated cause of his death should be attributed to homophobia in Clarksdale, an overwhelmingly black Delta community of 18,000. In much of the Deep South, mores limit public discussions of sex and sexuality. And almost nowhere in the country would a collection of bereaved family and friends deviate from the standard script of life accomplishments, endearing quirks and good deeds at a funeral.It hurts to hear that this part of his life was closed and not mentioned. Whether they like it or not, Marco was gay and out. He was free and true to himself, they can't hide it or deny it. His friends and family should do him justice and acknowledge all the pieces in his life.
5 comments:
I know that he was gay, but why does it bother you that it wasn't mentioned at his funeral.
We're all equal twice, when we're born and when we die. Maybe I haven't been paying attention, but I've never heard anyone's sexuality mentioned at a funeral.
What bothers me is the LGBT spin cycle made Marco McMillian their post boy as a result of how he died opposed to how he publically lived. No one deserves to die as Marco did. No parent should have to bury their only son when he clearly had so much to live for.
LGBT organizations have the right to seek answers to why Marco was mercilessly killed. On the other hand, Marco's family and friends deserve the right to mourn and remember Marco for the life that he lived as an african american aspiring politician that so happend to be "openly gay" not "politically gay."
@Reggie: I think what Wonder Man is hitting on is that while all other aspects of Marco's life were mentioned, his sexuality, which was also a part of what made Marco the man he was.
When you think about it, sexualtiy is mentioned at funerals; whenever a husband or wife speaks about their deceased spouse or, if both husband and wife are dead, others mention their marriage, love for one another, little quirks about their relationship etc. Their sexuality is mentioned, at least in an indirect sort of way. And often at funerals involving gay people, that aspect is ignored (obviously Marco didn't have a husband but you get the picture).
Point taken.
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