Love for Everyone

What the World Needs Now is Love
By Jackie DeShannon

What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It's the only thing that there's just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
No, not just for some but for everyone

Lord, we don't need another mountain
There are mountains and hillsides enough to climb
There are oceans and rivers enough to cross
Enough to last 'till the end of time

What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It's the only thing that there's just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
No, not just for some but for everyone

Lord, we don't need another meadow
There are cornfields and wheat fields enough to grow
There are sunbeams and moonbeams enough to shine
Oh, listen, lord, if you want to know

What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It's the only thing that there's just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
No, not just for some, oh, but just for ever, every, everyone

What the world needs now is love, sweet love (oh, is love)
What the world needs now is love, sweet love (oh, is love)
What the world needs now is love, sweet love (oh, is love)

Tonight I listened to this song online; it was performed by Broadway for Orlando and it resonated with me.

I have avoided writing about the massacre in Orlando.  My first reaction was “not again!!”  It was horrible but I felt a bit numb—there have been so many, too many.  However, the LGBT community here took it personally.  It was a very hard week for them.  There were two vigils at the Idaho State Capitol on Sunday.  I attended the evening one, along with a couple hundred other people.  Clergy were invited to come up onto the Capitol steps.  There were speakers and candles.

This was the beginning of Boise’s Pride Week so security became a big concern.  Plans were altered and additional security was arranged.  Events went on as scheduled.  The week culminated with the Pride rally, parade, and festival on Saturday.  This year the festival was right across the street from the Capitol.  The shortened parade route looped through nearby streets.  I stood on the Capitol steps with the banners from my church and coalition, waiting for the rally to begin.  When the voice of the organizer boomed through the microphone, people began moving in—and they just kept coming.  It was amazing.  There were thousands of people, a record for Boise Pride.

The mood was serious as Orlando was mentioned and the extra security was explained.  However, there was an effort to balance it with celebration.  There was music and speakers.  Boise’s mayor called for our legislators to finally add the words “gender identity” and “sexual orientation” to our Idaho Human Rights Act.  The mood was buoyant as we moved from the rally to the parade and then to the festival.  Rainbows were everywhere and people were smiling and laughing.  This was clearly a mixed crowd with plenty of straight allies there to support the LGBT community.  I saw lots of children; it was most definitely a family affair too.

On Friday and Saturday night our Capitol building was brightly lit with rainbow lights.  Our state government had said they couldn’t do it so our Pridefest organizers and a local lighting company pulled it off.  The results were absolutely beautiful.  I went down on Saturday night to experience it for myself.  There were many others there too.  What a huge statement in lights!

“What the world needs now. . . “  Boise demonstrated its support in a big way and showed its love for the gay and transgender people in our community.  Now, if we can just touch the hearts of Idaho legislators and convince them to finally “Add the Words,”  Idaho would be a better place to live for everybody.

Written on 6/20/2016