Tonight we are revisiting the shining moments of this week's groundbreaking brand new GLEE.
I Know Where I've Been "If I was gay, I would think hip hop hates me," Macklemore & Ryan Lewis eloquently relate in their international smash hit "Same Love", one of many self-empowerment and acceptance anthems showcased in tonight's heavily promoted all-new episode of FOX's long-running musical dramedy series GLEE. And, indeed, the subject of the hour was undoubtedly all about embracing otherness and celebrating each other for our differences, not just for our shared similarities. Well, that's not entirely true - love is love and gay love is the same as straight love. Yet, where does the transgender movement fit into the scheme of everything? Indeed, just as the 1990s were emblemized by a pronounced awareness of gay rights and this century so far has seen a myriad of new and necessary legislation and societal changes in regards to how homosexual couples and individuals are perceived - socially, legally, politically and otherwise - so goes the same for transgender rights right here and now. While it is true that gay marriage has not been legalized in all 50 states nor can children be adopted by same-sex parents everywhere either, the leaps and bounds that have been achieved by the tireless supporters of the LGBT movement are to be highly commended for coming so far in such a relatively short period of time. As the Tony Award-winning score for Best Musical winner HAIRSPRAY attests in its unforgettable Marc Shaiman/Scott Wittman barn-burner "I Know Where I've Been" - sensationally and spine-tingly sung on tonight's ep with transgender breakout star Unique (Alex Newell) leading a choir of over 200 trans individuals - there is even more road ahead than already traversed, particularly as far as the trans movement is concerned. As gay rights were to the 1990s and early 2000s, so, now, is the trans movement the next step towards equal rights for all Americans in 2015 as we enter the second half of the second decade of the new millennium.
Photo Credits: FOX
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