The approximately 25 of us who created the asktellact coalition and brought our antiwar message to pride this year made history. From my vantage point there was definitely something about corporate pride's "proud to serve" theme this year that really got people's blood boiling!
As I see it, radical queer youth are balancing 2-3 jobs, trying to maintain necessary social support networking, dealing with possibilities of bashing and discrimination at any time etc. I believe our common everyday struggles are what radicalize us, "being determines consciousness". We could pass, but those of us in the struggle don't and those of us who aren't white, or who speak with an accen,t can't.
Not so much different from what I experienced in the 60's despite the many gains we have won through struggle since then. A different war, (Vietnam War) but the same entrenched war-monster pentagon, the same daily racial profiling, the same immigrant-bashing.
As I see it, radical queer youth are balancing 2-3 jobs, trying to maintain necessary social support networking, dealing with possibilities of bashing and discrimination at any time etc. I believe our common everyday struggles are what radicalize us, "being determines consciousness". We could pass, but those of us in the struggle don't and those of us who aren't white, or who speak with an accen,t can't.
Not so much different from what I experienced in the 60's despite the many gains we have won through struggle since then. A different war, (Vietnam War) but the same entrenched war-monster pentagon, the same daily racial profiling, the same immigrant-bashing.
Question: as local queers what are our organizational and tactical goals? Do we wait for the next horror show to happen and then respond in protest? And then wait for the next assault and respond to it etc, etc.. Or do we consciously and intentionally build a movement out of our shared feelings of oppression and our belief in showing solidarity to the struggles of others especially racial struggle like that of the four lesbians of color who just got 3-11 yrs for defending themselves in a brutal attack in NYC? (http://www.fiercenyc.org/updates_events/) I guess it would mean taking social networking and support energies and finding a little time out for discussion, theoretical analysis.
I am helping to organize the antiwar encampment on the Washington Mall, the weekend of Sept 22-29 (www.troopsoutnow.org) and there is room for us to create a presence there to reflect our lives and struggles. This project would benefit greatly from more involvement.
Gerry Scoppettuolo
Stonewall Warriors
I am helping to organize the antiwar encampment on the Washington Mall, the weekend of Sept 22-29 (www.troopsoutnow.org) and there is room for us to create a presence there to reflect our lives and struggles. This project would benefit greatly from more involvement.
Gerry Scoppettuolo
Stonewall Warriors
2 comments:
International Answer is having a march on Sept. 15 that was called for a while now, and a lot of people are goign to that.... combine efforts?
In mid April we in Troops Out Now Coalition put out a national call for anti war encampment and march Sept 22-29 in D.C..
In June, ANSWER put out a call for a national march to happen Sept 15th just one week before our activities and without any consultation with us. People can draw their own conclusions about this. I used to be an ANSWER organizer, but no more.But there is still time to unite.
Some of us in TONC are considering what an LGBT presence for a week on the mall at our encampment would look like. We are definitely organizing people with HIV to be part of our Healthcare not Warfare contingents. $10 million an hr is being spent on the war and I don't have agency money to buy snacks for the client support group I facilitate at the AIDS Task Force in Nashua, NH as a volunteer to help the case managers who are swamped with one new case a week - in Southern New Hampshire!
Please community - we need to rise up! People are dying!! More will die!. Please answer the call
gerry@iacboston.org
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