By Jasmyne Cannick

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." -- Martin Luther King Jr.

When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. marched in the '60s for the civil rights of blacks, he wasn't marching for the civil rights of some, he marched for all blacks.

Equality for all regardless of skin color is not enough today. Many of us are still in pursuit of our basic human rights as same-gender loving people and until we have access to our full rights, we can't afford to be silent about this matter. When blacks were drinking out of "Colored Only" water fountains and forced to use separate bathrooms from those of whites, the signs didn't read "Straight Colored Only" and "Gay Colored Only." No, they simply read "Colored Only."

Black gays and lesbians suffered the same mistreatment of blacks in general and still had no voices of their own. It's unfortunate that today, there are those in the black community that find bigotry acceptable toward gays and use misguided ideologies to convey their message. It's even more unfortunate that as a community we have allowed these people to silence our voices. When Rosa Parks sat down, she sat down for the Jasmyne that is a black woman and the Jasmyne who is a black lesbian. Our lives matter, and as we commemorate the life of such a heroic man, we should remember what Dr. King stood for. He believed in fighting injustice and dedicated his life to the non-violent pursuit of equality for all people regardless of skin color.

So while I am taking the time to remember a man that worked so hard to make my life better, I am also choosing to follow Dr. King's lead and not be silent on things that matter, which include the right to marry the woman that I love and the right for you to marry the person that you love regardless of their sex.

With each new year comes new hope. My hope is that this is the year that lesbians and gays are finally treated as equal citizens in a country that prides itself on all of its liberties.

We have come a long way from the days of separate drinking facilities and restrooms, but we still have a long ways to go. Make this the year that you make your voice count in the new fight for civil rights.

Happy King Day!

In the struggle,
Jasmyne Cannick

Jasmyne Cannick is a Los Angeles-based writer of political and social commentary and a member of the National Association of Black Journalists. She can be reached via her Web site, www.jasmynecannick.com.