September 11th each year is an unusual experience for me. In addition to marking the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, it is my birthday, and so for me the two are intertwined in a unique way.

Today, on this anniversary like most, I am left speechless as I think about the devastation and harm caused to so many, and I think about Mark Bingham. Mark was one of the heroes on flight 93 who attempted to take over the plane from the highjacks, which ultimately caused the plane to crash in Pennsylvania rather than hit the intended target. And Mark Bingham was gay.

This isn’t anything really profound, and on some level shouldn’t even need to be brought into our awareness. A person’s heroism isn’t really connected to their sexual orientation. Mark did what he did, not because of being gay but because of the person he was. But that is precisely the point.

The anti-LGBTQ fanatics and crazies try and paint gay, lesbian, bi, trans, and queer people as monsters and as if we are not like everyone else. But we are exactly like everyone else. Our sexual orientation and our sexuality are just parts of the whole person that we are. It is indeed, one aspect that makes us like everyone, rather than different.

Remembering Mark and that he was gay is important whenever the voices that claim we are monsters and deviants arise to the level of noise. Remembering Mark, reminds us all to dig deep within ourselves to find our own ability to be heroes, and rebuff the vitriol and noise against us.

Lastly, remembering Mark, can remind us to own our own status as full-fledged Americans. Too often the Far Right tries to claim that only they are true patriots when nothing could be further from the truth. Mark was a true patriot and many LGBTQ persons are true patriots, and we should never allow anyone to make us feel as if we are not.

We can not know just how many lives, damage and harm was averted because of heroic actions like Mark’s. We can not really know how much worse it would have been had he not arisen to the occasion because of the person that he was. But we can grasp how great his sacrifice was so that others would not be harmed. And we need to remember Mark, not only one day a year, but always as Mark’s story can inspire us to be heroes too.

https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/news/7049/remembering-gay-911-hero-mark-bingham/