I saw Lauren Jurysta last evening and she told me that the hearings for those arrested is today at 12:30 pm. I have a very full day at work but will try and get away to go if I can swing it. I know nothing about 3 of the people arrested nor do I know the facts surrounding Japenga’s arrest. The 5th person who was arrested, in my opinion didn’t do anything wrong, so I’m[Read More…]
Tonight was the meeting organized by Rayden Sorock with the goal to develop a 5 year plan for the LGBTQ community which is probably better referred to as QUILTBAG. Lots to write about, and it will have to be enough for now to just say that the group assembled was fantastic. This was the most diverse group in every way I think I have ever seen gathered together. Differing ages, races, orientations, gender identities, probably[Read More…]
The issue is critically important. Everyone deserves to give voice to their opinions and we can all speak out publicly, but what are the rules and the limits? Better to know before you go off protesting, and if it is too late for that, be prepared for the next time. The link below is to a PDF of a brochure/ instruction sheet that the ACLU has to pass out.
This is a good read, although fairly esoteric and theoretical. Rather, it is the qualitative position of opposition to presentations of stability—an identity that problematizes the manageable limits of identity. Queer is a territory of tension, defined against the dominant narrative of white-hetero-monogamous-patriarchy, but also by an affinity with all who are marginalized, otherized, and oppressed. I especially like the closing comment: Queer is a total rejection of the regime of the Normal. I don’t[Read More…]
My middle name doesn’t have to be Equality for me to be contantly working for Equality. In fact, by taking it out of my name, I force myself to make sure I am talking about Equality even more than before so that this word is heard over and over, and considered as an important goal by more and more people.
Received an email today explaining how you can follow the Prop 8 hearing that is happening today starting at noon Pittsburgh time, or 9AM PT. Follow the American Foundation for Equal Rights on Twitter. Follow them on Facebook.
In a post about the queer rally in Bloomfield, I misgendered several people. a commenter corrected me on this, and referred to one of the person’s as Genderqueer, which I had no real clue what that meant, so I looked it up: From wikipedia: Genderqueer (GQ; alternatively non-binary) is a catch-all term for gender identities other than man and woman, thus outside of thegender binary and heteronormativity.[1] People who identify as genderqueer may think of themselves as one or more of the[Read More…]
As I was videotaping the arrest, another officer came running at me with a can of mace or pepper spray or something and told me to get the hell out or I would be arrested too. I backed away but kept taping.
So all of the headlines this week that talked about this as an LGBT rally, might be wrong! It may have originated as that- a rally against homophobia within the Bloomfield community, but then it got co-opted? Taken over, or used by anarchists or queer anarchists for their own purpose which was to lash out at any sense of authority.
When there is so much anger, there is no solution- no way for these two “sides” to work together for the greater good, and from my experience here, this is one of the two big issues that the rally accentuates.