Stonewall, Gay History,(Long)

40 years ago tomorrow, in a small, sleazy, mafia run, gay bar called The Stonewall Inn, on Christopher Street, NYC, a riot broke out in the wee hours of the morning, when a "passing woman" (like a drag king) was arrested in the bar during a police raid, escaped the cop car, and threw her large body against it, evoking the start of a riot within the bar. Soon afterwords, a drag queen threw the first stone, hitting an officer, and symbolically, too many, starting three days of protest and riots. During those three days of fighting many new gay rights groups formed, and the gay community, once nebulous and trying to conform to the rest, became a separate entity proper. Pride began.
40 years on the climate of the gay movement is different, the Mattachine Society and the Sisters of Belitis are no longer the prime example of activism, and queer culture has grown to even include a handful of heterosexuals, and has become a culture and a people in our own right. Nonetheless we are incredibly diverse, as our society is not based on race, nor on gender, but on a less tangible, less visible, separation of sexuality.
We need, therefore, to celebrate our intangible connection all the more. To further this I propose a symbolic tradition, to celebrate stonewall, the formation of a proper gay holiday, to cement our community together, and give us an enforced connection to one another. Some may question this as being unnecessary or silly, but it’s similar to the intention behind the holiday of Kwanza, itself formed in the 60s for similar reason; to cement a minority together, to unify, to celebrate, to fight, and to remember.

The celebration is in my mind separated into 4 days, each with symbolic names.
Day 1, June 27th- Judy Garland Memorial Day
Gay legend holds that the boys, girls, neither, and both, were at stonewall mourning the loss of an icon, Judy Garland, in the same way, celebration of stonewall begins on this day as a day of mourning, and remembrance. On this day we remember those who have passed, those who died of HIV/AIDS, those who were bashed, and those who went down fighting. We remember Garland too, and other strong females, bisexuals and gay men who we ourselves, and those before us, grew up looking up to. By about 11, at certain bars, a local drag queen, or elder, will take on the duty of retelling the story of that night, and we have a cocktail in memory. After the first toast, drinking and revelry is more than acceptable.
Day 2, June 28th- Stonewall
This is stonewall itself, thus the name. On this day, people drink and celebrate in early morning, are welcome to get up late, it’s a day for community planning, and people should go to local gay centres to plan and connect. Perhaps a dinner is in order. Protests are best to begin, or be planned on this day. This is also a day for the older generation to connect with the younger and pass on our history, so we never forget, and so that we have a connection to the past.
Day 3, June 29th- Protest
This is a day for peaceful resistance, those who can are to attend a rally, protest, or march, those who can’t should still write to their congressmen, local legislators, etc to forward the gay rights movement.
Day 4, June 30- Pride
This is the culmination, In some regions, street parades can be organized, it’s a day where you should let your rainbow flag fly, it's a day for coming out, for those who are ready to, it's a day for family too, it’s a day for celebration, for fun. Gay youth and children of gay parents can get a small present on this day. Celebrate however you wish, for Stonewall is over, but our fight continues.

That's my proposal, 4 days of Stonewall, a “Gay Kwanza”: Memorial, Stonewall, Protest and Pride. I hope that this idea spreads and that some decide to celebrate our history, our community, and those who must be remembered.

i dont know if this will work properly, but its something i feel should be here.

Paris is Burning

I have just finished watching what may be one of the greatest Documentaries I will ever see.

Paris is Burning is about the 1980's drag ball scene. It's about dancing Vogue, throwing Shade, being fabulous and being what you want to be.
Ostensibly.
Actually, Paris is Burning focuses on what it's like to not ONLY be a minority, NOT ONLY be LGBT, but to be poor, and living in a rich, straight, white man's city. the city in question is of course; "New York City! Center of the universe. Things may be shitty, but at least they cant be worse."(Angel, Rent)
Truly, that quote, though written years later, fits this movie like a fine opera glove. Through the film you can see the struggle of the young and gay, or transsexual, minorities during the 1980's. With no money, many resorted to hooking, "mopping" (stealing,) and working any job, legal or otherwise, that they could, just to make a living of some kind. Such a life is depressing. And for many or most of these poor urbanites, the only thing that really seems to keep them going is the drag balls.
The Balls are amazing events. At a ball, one is not yourself, you're what you WANT to be, what you've ALWAYS wanted to be, and you're FIERCE. In real life, you're saving for your sex change operation by hooking, or being an escort, all you want is a normal life, or a famous, fabulous life. you want to be either normal, or what you are but important, but of course you aren't, and the crushing truth? You may never be. Remember, these were the days before RuPaul and Superstar. The days before drag reviews stocked by straight woman at hen parties. So, what you lived for, was The Ball. At a ball you could be anything. You could be a fabulous rich exective, and opulant rich, housewife, a fantastic queen of EVERYTHING. You could be a military officer, successful, manly, you could be "Real."
It's escapism, and who could blame them?
That's not even a true overview of the documentry, it's a garbled mush trying to get across how wonderful and meaningful it is, how inspiring yet depressing it is. In this film you see how far we have come as a people, and how we haven't moved at all. It's a dichotomy. The masculine and feminine clashing behind closed doors, the inspiring tale, and the depressing realization that, ultimately, it has touched so very few. true many hundreds, or thousands, have watched this film. In fact it's grossed a fairly significant amount of money for an LGBT documentry, but if you ask most people if they've heard of the House of Dupree? They won't know. i certainly didn't, and i bet you don't even know what a "House" is.
It's not your fault or societies fault, or anyones, but it's worth learning about.

I have a tinyurl that links to it: http://tinyurl.com/dhtvu4

Please watch it. You won't regret it.

This post is an utter mess but I will not be fixing it, as it's late, and I really don't think i can properly analyze this film so soon after watching it, and there's so much in it, it wouldn't be easy anyway.

A Rant About Gay-Inaction

I'm thinking about something which I may have to fight for for the rest of my life, and not just me but some of my friends and my own mother.

Something most people I know can do that I don't even have the option of doing in anywhere but the above places.
I'm thinking about Marriage.
It has been over 40 years since the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s began, and so many groups have gained equality, not just in the states but around the world, since then, except for the group that I and my mother identify with. Its been 30 years since the assassination of Harvey Milk and we've only slightly progressed since then, which is sickening.
I'm listening to a podcast at this moment.
Its an interview with a great great man, a friend of Milk who appears in the film (in the background, a little cameo) and everything he's said is striking and uplifting, and somehow depressing.
His name is Cleve Jones.
He's saying one thing really, that we must now demand Federal Action, this has gone on for much much too long, accepting little bits of hope and continuing to take abuse. We've gone on doing this for years.
Its rediculous.
Does this mean another march on washington? probably. does it mean boycotting businesses like Cinemark which had/have CEOs who support things like Prop 8? yes.
but boycotts, Marching, Protest, going from door to bloody door to talk to people at home and tell them, plead with them, to support your cause, requires focus.
Which is what Mr.Jones supports; YES we should fight, and we should take no more compromise in LGBT equality until we win.
I realize most of the people I'm tagging in this are not Gay or even Bisexual, but equal rights are important and we should all fight for them.
I think its probably a good idea for most of you to listen to this interview,
On iTunes its under Feast of Fools podcast, episode #892. http://www.feastoffools.net/gay-fun-show/2008/12/05/fof-892-the-real-life-cleve-jones-120508/
Cleve Jones also came up with the AIDS quilt.
I might delete or have to re format this note. but in my defense, I AM pretty new to the whole posting things online thing, i also might put it on my LJ but no one reads that anymore.
I'm already tired of fighting, and i haven't even had a chance to begin.