Comments on: Remembering Stonewall

By: mischiefmanager

mischiefmanager — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:37:10 +0000

Baraquiel, I’d say that anger is not the opposite of hopefulness. If you’re beyond hope, you’re passive and indifferent. It’s disappointed hope that spurs the righteous anger we need to make changes, so keep that anger up! (In moderation, of course. Too much anger burns you up.)

NY Magazine just had an interesting piece on anger and the lack of it among older and younger gays and lesbians: http://nymag.com/guides/summer/2009/57467/.

By: Raid on Fort Worth Gay Bar on the Anniversary of Stonewall « The Gender Blender Blog

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 03:05:17 +0000

[...] Raid on Fort Worth Gay Bar on the Anniversary of Stonewall 28 06 2009 Today is the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, a 1969 riot in which patrons of the Stonewall Bar fought back against police brutality and harassment against gay people by the NYPD. A raid of the Stonewall Bar by police turned into a riot and is widely considered to have been a major catalyst for the modern US gay rights movement. Sarah.of.a.lesser.god has a good post about remembering Stonewall on The Pursuit of Harpyness blog. [...]

By: Miss Pinot

Miss Pinot — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 14:06:25 +0000

Thank you, S.O.A.L.G for this post. It had been a tradition in my family to go to the NY pride parade, because I have an aunt who is gay.This was my mother and my aunt’s way of exposing my brother and I to the fact that it wasn’t just my aunt or her friends who were gay, it was MANY people, and normal. Once my mother passed, I stopped going. This year, I am going. I will probably cry my eyes out, but I am going.

By: sarah.of.a.lesser.god

sarah.of.a.lesser.god — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 23:16:11 +0000

@x. trapnel: Though it’s also true that identity-building can make things uncomfortable for those who don’t seem to fit … and even adding letters [GLBTQ...] doesn’t always help with this. YES. And as a “B” woman in the acronym equation, I can vouch for the trickiness of the identity politics within the LGBT community, let alone the world at large.

By: ceejeemcbeegee

ceejeemcbeegee — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 23:10:50 +0000

I’m all about being pro-active. For those looking to get involved, visit http://www.couragecampaign.org .

By: x. trapnel

x. trapnel — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 01:06:57 +0000

It's interesting how much of US individual-rights' protection in the last century was driven by mobilization around collective identity. (I only learned about a month ago that NY Times v. Sullivan, that central free speech case, almost certainly came out the way it did because of the context: an attempt by Southern officials to shut down newspapers' reporting on civil rights stuff through tons of libel lawsuits.) And my sense is a lot of the 'rights against compulsory patriotism' stuff really originated in deference towards particular groups' distinct traditions (Quakers, Amish). Stuff doesn't stay in the Carolene Products Fn 4 box. And Lawrence v. Texas has some really fantastic stuff on liberty (rather than simply privacy) as a general presumption. Anyway. I guess all I'm saying is that a lot of conservativish folks tend to see anything that looks like "identity politics" as scary, rather than seeing how important social movements are in making individual rights effective for everybody. (Though it's also true that identity-building can make things uncomfortable for those who don't seem to fit ... and even adding letters [GLBTQ...] doesn't always help with this.) Aaagh. Rambling! Okay, time to celebrate Pride at the Madonnathon. =)

By: SarahMC

SarahMC — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:02:11 +0000

Fantastic, informative post. As far as anger is concerned, social progress never occurs until the oppressed get angry.

By: sarah.of.a.lesser.god

sarah.of.a.lesser.god — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 23:41:57 +0000

Also, @baraqiel, And the Band Played On is a fabulous, necessary read. Randy Shilts also wrote The Mayor of Castro Street, which is the definitive bio on Harvey Milk.

By: sarah.of.a.lesser.god

sarah.of.a.lesser.god — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 23:40:54 +0000

@baraqiel @ShinyObjects @Becky: Thanks for sharing your thoughts on all this. I have to admit I get tired of being told progress is slow and that patience is needed. I understand that fundamental principle, but it’s amazing how a blind eye is turned to equality when it comes to issues of sexual orientation and identification. Things are a lot better than they were in 1969, or even in 1999, but there is a hell of a long way to go.

By: BeckySharper

BeckySharper — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:49:13 +0000

I told s.o.l.a.g. that I loved this post in large part because I learned a lot of things that I didn’t know I didn’t know! I walk by Stonewall often on my way to work, and knew it’s history but didn’t know much about the history of gay rights.

@baraqiel: I love Obama, but he’s pissing me off with his slowness on gay rights. Maybe more anger is called for. I just hope it’s not anger provoked by a bad news, like Prop 8.