06/01/2026
PRIDE MONTH: A Time for Reflection and Accountability
I was 18 years old in 1969 when the news broke. In the early hours of June 28, somebody shouted “Enough!” and an otherwise unremarkable night at NYC’s Stonewall Inn became historic.
In those days, police raids on gay gathering spots were commonplace. Believe it or not, patrons were often arrested and charged with failing to wear gender-appropriate clothing. Yes, it was a crime then. It was all intended to embarrass and harass, nothing more.
But this night was different.
Someone shouted “Enough!” The resistance that followed became the launch of a national human rights movement. Sadly, it continues to this day.
I marched in support through my college and law school years. But after America convinced itself that HIV/AIDS was “the gay plague” in the 1980s, I became directly involved through the New Haven AIDS Project. I offered legal advice and direct patient support services, including transportation, meals, and financial assistance to people diagnosed with the infection.
That work continued in the Twin Cities, Dallas, Washington, D.C., and eventually the Quad Cities Area. I joined the board of Quad Citians Affirming Diversity and was later named “Volunteer of the Year” by the QC AIDS Project.
Today, I still consider myself a foot soldier in the fight for human rights. I’ve stridently opposed every anti-gay bill in the Iowa General Assembly, including efforts to repeal civil rights protections for our transgender neighbors.
I’ve also organized the “Friends of Ken Croken” film fundraisers and raised thousands of dollars in support of gender-affirming care for trans youth at The Clock, Inc. and The Project.
I’m proud to have earned the reelection endorsement of Iowa’s only transgender member of the Iowa General Assembly, Aime Wichtendahl.
I still stand with all people of faith and goodwill, shouting back in support across the decades:
“Enough!”
