Twenty-five, 30 years ago, the barometer of human rights in the United States were black people. That is no longer true. The barometer for judging the character of people in regard to human rights is now those who consider themselves gay, homosexual, lesbian.
Bayard RustinThe real radical is that person who has a vision of equality and is willing to do those things that will bring reality closer to that vision. . .
Bayard RustinGod does not require us to achieve any of the good tasks that humanity must pursue. What God requires of us is that we not stop trying.
Bayard RustinThe only weapon we have is our bodies, and we need to tuck them in places so wheels don't turn
Bayard RustinToday, blacks are no longer the litmus paper or the barometer of social change. Blacks are in every segment of society and there are laws that help to protect them from racial discrimination. The new โniggersโ are gays. It is in this sense that gay people are the new barometer for social change. The question of social change should be framed with the most vulnerable group in mind: gay people.
Bayard Rustin