Drag Queens and Astronauts

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots on June 27th in NYC. I recently heard a radio story about the moon landing on July 20th, 1969 and it suddenly dawned on me that the two events transpired within a month of each other. Presumably few people knew about the riots in New York and everyone watched the lunar landing but nevertheless, they are inextricably linked in the moment’s cultural zeitgeist.

Marsha "Pay It No Mind" Johnson

Pondering that thought brought me visions of drag queens and astronauts. I wonder where Marsha P. Johnson was on the day of the moon landing. Barely a month after she fought back against police at the Stonewall Inn, did she sit in a smokey bar and watch Americans landing on the moon? It must have felt like the whole world was changing. Indeed, her longtime friend and fellow transgender activist Sylvia Rivera summed up the moment “I’m not missing a minute of this, it’s the revolution.” Appropriately, she and Marsha went on to found the organization STAR – Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries.
The progress in technology and civil rights since that summer forty years ago is amazing. I’d love to see what Marsha would make of today’s gay pride celebrations. But we haven’t been back to the moon or continued on to any other planets. And the gay rights movement is still trapped in the narrow minded, assimilationist tactics that characterized it in the late 60’s. Where are our flying cars? Where is the queer movement that looks beyond equality to actually honor and value the transgender heroes who stepped out of the shadows to fight for all of us?
The more things change, the more they stay the same. As we marvel over another successful shuttle launch comingled with the weekend’s Pride parade I’m grateful to Marsha P. Johnson … up there watching it all.

Heartbreaking protests in Iran

Neda Sultani is the name of a woman who was shot by the Iranian Militia as she left a peaceful protest with her music teacher in a pro-Democracy gathering in Tehran, Iran on June 20th. She was not politically aligned, she was not violently protesting or confronting police, she was simply an ordinary Iranian. She was shot by snipers and died almost instantly, she was 27. “Neda wanted freedom, freedom for everyone,” said Kaspeen Makan, her fiancee.

Basiji Mil

Cookie Dance!

My cool little cousin Bria (Gabriella) in Seattle is selling Girl Scout Cookies to go to Horse Camp. Check out her Cookie Dance:

Want to order some?: Email: brookenbria@gmail.com Please feel free to call and ask Gabriella any questions you may have on the cookies.  This is her 3^rd year and she has lots of information. Gabriella is a member of troop #2770.  The troop is full of fun and energetic girls & Moms and they have lots of plans for this upcoming year.  Including camping trip, horse back riding, sewing, plus lots of other fun suggestions.  A portion of the proceeds of the cookie sale will go directly towards Gabriella’s Girl Scout troop.

Cookie orders can be placed from January 9th – 25th. Cookies are distributed to troops in late February. Cash & checks are joyfully accepted (payments made when cookies are delivered)

Thank you for your support of Girl Scouts!

YouTube comment offers an ethical dilemma

On March 15th, the California Supreme Court struck down the ban on same gender marriage. A lot of folks gathered at The LGBT Center to celebrate this historic decision. I shot some video and posted it on YouTube. Naturally, I got a comment right away but I couldn’t decide whether to approve (show) it or deny (delete) it. So, I sent out an email poll. Scrappy (or dramatic – take your pick) members advocated posting it. “We need to show people the discrimination and hatred we face”. More sensitive (or self-respecting) responded with the firm suggestion to delete. One friend stridently reminded me, “It’s YOUR Tube, not their tube”. I was still pondering, then I got an email from Mom.

“I watched your video, well done. The comment remindes me of a rapist who was active in the anti-abortion movement. All we can really do for these poor misguided souls is to love them and pray for them and respond with love and kindness, something they evidently don’t get much of on a regular basis.

Not that I’m that old, but I remember when there was segregation in this country. I lived through the assassinations of the Kennedys and Dr. Martin Luther King, the Watts riots, Ghandi, Archbishop Tutu, and the heartache of trying to get blacks registered to vote without being intimidated or losing their jobs when they did go to the polls. I’ve lived through Roe v Wade (still living through it). I’ve lived to see a woman, then another, on the Supreme Court and women in politics from local school boards (rather than just room mothers) to now a serious candidate for the Presidency. All of these had the negative comments like the one made to you.

Usually they are made by men raised in the belief that violence and hatred and having an enemy and fighting will bring ‘peace’ and keep the statues quo. They are afraid of change because they don’t see where they’ll fit in or what their role will be … they are frightened little boys. Sure some women support their cause because they follow their lead. They too are afraid of change and what their role will be.

We need to do as your video says Donate Get Involved Speak Up Volunteer. I don’t know if you remember marching with me in the streets of Palo Alto, San Francisco, and Berkeley protesting the war in Viet Nam. It was important for me to stand with others and be vocal and involve my kids because in a few short years they would have to make their own decisions about standing up and being counted.

Check out The Seattle Times front page article “Logging town welcomes transgender group”. I vote for posting the comment with a note to pray for his lost soul. He is living in fear and can only see the negative. I love you Ame and I will continue to work for peace in non-violent ways”.

Okay, aside from how cool it was that I was protesting Viet Nam when I was (hmm, 5?), I love her logic. Post it so we can PRAY for him! Ha ha!! I cannot resist … view it here with all it’s commented silliness or view a higher quality version at centeradvocacy.org. Thanks very much to all who responded and if you want to comment on his comment, I’d LOVE to see it.