As worthy as Paris was to be grand marshal for the Los Angeles Gay Pride Parade? Or more?

Many activists want to see a change in who the GLBTQ community honors and why.

Janet Jackson. Howard Dean. Paris Hilton. Tom Daschle.

The four disparate personalities share one common trait: They all were recently recognized in high-profile ways by gay organizations.

For the gay groups that lauded them, including two national advocacy groups, it’s a matter of honoring “brave though not perfect” political leaders.

For critics, it’s an effort to “curry press and favor” without any civil rights victories to show for it.

“How desperate can we get?” said Robin Tyler, a longtime gay rights activist. “We’ve mistaken cultural visibility for civil rights.”

continue reading