I'm 48 years of age.
Yea, I know I don't look it. I owe it all to clean living and quality beer!
The riots at The Stonewall Inn took place when I was 10 years old.
It was the day Gays in the United States said out loud, "We don't have to take this shit any more!"
Gregory Flood in his book "I'm Looking For Mr. Right, But I'll Settle For Mr. Right Away" discribed it as "The first great idea we ever had." But that was in 1969.
What great ideas have we had since? Well, for me I remember decades of living in a country where Gay folks walked down the streets of this country in fear.
What do I see today?
Gay Folks walking down the streets in fear.
Back in the 1990's a young Lesbian Rutgers University student related this story.She was walking down the street of the main campus.Suddenly she see's a straight female friend she had not seen in months. They run up to each other and hug. Talking a mile a minuet she says there's a class to attend.
So they exchange contact information.
As she walks away she says loud enough to be heard across the street, "Call me, cause I love you!" As she heads to class she see's her girl friend! What a great day this is turning out to be. They walk up to each other and shake hands. This women realized later that there was no need for her to not kiss and hug hur girl friend.
She realized she was living on automatic pilot. Fear is one reason humans are not extinct yet.Our ancestors lived in savage chaotic time.
There was little time to reason out a threat.
It was "Get your hairy neanderthal ass away from the saber tooth bear NOW!!!"
Over time they developed leasure time to perfect there technology, tell stories, and develope a human culture.
OK, now before I go any further you need to know why what I am about to relate is not a message you hear much.
It's in part because a substantial number of Gay Men of my generation are dead. AIDS took out of this world Men and Gay Women who would be thrilled to be living in these times. They would think back on the way things were in the 1940's, 1950's and 1960's. When I wake up and see that I am not strapped to a table about to have my testicles cut off I think, Damn! This is the start to a good day!"
OK, Now my point.
It's OK to be afraid from time to time.It means you are awake.
But if your fear is an irrational terror that prevents you from expressing
your positive power in the world then the effect is a more fearfull world.
It's when Gay Folks before and after Stonewall found them selves fearing
less that they expressed that fearlessness in the cival rights and feminist movements.
The fearless are compassionate.The fearless are changing the world for the better as you read this.
Closeted or "Out" you are free when you are fearless.
But what to do when your feeling fearless?
One option is to look inward and find what is important to you.
Back in the 1980's Right Wing activists talked about the Gay Agenda.
The responce from "Queer" activists was out rage."How dare they think we are plotting to recruit children."My response was "Gay Agenda? I Wish!"
Since the Bisexual Gay Male, Lesbian, and Trans Communities are so diverse what kind of agenda can we agree on?
How about less suffering in general in the world?
Simple, to the point and geared to helping every one who suffers.
It can get complicated on some issues.
But if we look to each of the communities giving to there members the respect we expect in return then I believe a concensus can be reached.
I vollenteer at WBAI 99.5 fm where they have a
Gay radio program called Out-FM. I set up a My Space page for them and post stuff on there BLOG.
There web site is www.outfm.org.
Check em out and think about what matters to you.
Then embrace that.
As a citizen of the United States you have an awcome power to make things better for others.
Perhaps you can inspire others to be less fearfull.
Pedro Angel Serrano
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Friday, November 16, 2007
A few months ago I was as is my routine
watching the News Hour with Jim Lehrer on PBS.
They had a segment on wounded solders
from Iraq and Afghanistan. It was one of a continuing
series they have been doing on how the U.S. government
has and has not been giving the wounded vets what they need.
At one point during the segment as they showed a paralyzed solider being
turned over he screamed out the word, "NO!"
It was a symptom of his brain damage. Friends watching it were pained
upon hearing it. What came to my mind at that moment was,
what would it take to become
a physical therapist; how much time in school, what would it cost, could I get a grant for it.
The reason I was suddenly
thinking about utterly changing my life was that I wanted to help.
That's not just who I am. It's what millions of Americans are.
People who want to help.
It's what millions of Americans where thinking and feeling at the same time I was.
"I want to help."
Here's a suggestion a friend re-posted on My Space.
It's simple and something you can do before of shopping for bargains on "Black Sunday."
Perhaps it will put you in a better mind set as you
navigate the crowds in the malls.
When you are making out your Christmas card list this year,
please include the following:
A Recovering American soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue,NW
Washington ,D.C. 20307-5001
If you approve of the idea, please pass it on to your e-mail list
Pedro
watching the News Hour with Jim Lehrer on PBS.
They had a segment on wounded solders
from Iraq and Afghanistan. It was one of a continuing
series they have been doing on how the U.S. government
has and has not been giving the wounded vets what they need.
At one point during the segment as they showed a paralyzed solider being
turned over he screamed out the word, "NO!"
It was a symptom of his brain damage. Friends watching it were pained
upon hearing it. What came to my mind at that moment was,
what would it take to become
a physical therapist; how much time in school, what would it cost, could I get a grant for it.
The reason I was suddenly
thinking about utterly changing my life was that I wanted to help.
That's not just who I am. It's what millions of Americans are.
People who want to help.
It's what millions of Americans where thinking and feeling at the same time I was.
"I want to help."
Here's a suggestion a friend re-posted on My Space.
It's simple and something you can do before of shopping for bargains on "Black Sunday."
Perhaps it will put you in a better mind set as you
navigate the crowds in the malls.
When you are making out your Christmas card list this year,
please include the following:
A Recovering American soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue,NW
Washington ,D.C. 20307-5001
If you approve of the idea, please pass it on to your e-mail list
Pedro
Sunday, November 11, 2007
What is a hero?
... Willem Arondeus, was a Dutch homosexual who led a gay resistance group against the Nazis .
... Willem was an artist and writer who lived mostly in poverty with his younger lover Jan. Willem organized a group made up of mostly gay men one of whom was a tailor. This tailor made "costumes" that resembled police uniforms. Donning these "uniforms" the group was allowed to enter a government records office and, after tranquilizing the guards and moving them to a safe place, the group set fire to the building. The building held thousands of files of Jews and others that were marked for deportation to death camps. This action delayed the deportation and in some cases actually saved the lives of many that the Nazis had marked for death but had not yet rounded up. Someone betrayed Willem and his group and a few months later most were executed.
Before Willem was executed, Willem said "Let the world know that homosexuals are not cowards".
Exhibit to honor Gay American Heroes
A group of LGBT activists (including Scott Hall, Frank Kameny, US Representative Barney Frank and Amazing Race winner Chip Arndt) are working towards the creation of a memorial to victims of anti-gay hate crimes.
The effort, Gay American Heroes, aims to "honor and remember LGBT victims of hate crimes" while also seeking to increase awareness about violent crimes against LGBT people. The exhibit will show pictures of hate crime victims, along with their names and stories, on a 100 foot long display of rainbow colored panels. The exhibit is meant to travel and be displayed in college campuses, gay pride events and other communities.
It will include interactive elements including an "Adopt-A-Hero" program that will send a card to friends and family of the Hero, letting them know that their loved one has not been forgotten. Visitors will also be able to submit the name of a friend, family member or lover who was lost to a hate crime or print out information about one of the exhibit's Heroes to take home.
More information about the project can be found at the Foundation's website:http://www.gayamericanheroes.com/
The exhibit hopes to be completed in December.The power of an exhibit like this is that it makes people see hate crime victims as people, rather than statistics. By hearing stories of the Heroes, strained claims that adding LGBT people to hate crime protections will stifle the free speech of anti-gay activists lose their power. I'm reminded of Lavender Liberal's video tribute to Hate Crime victims, which made it hard not to see the tragedy of all these lives interrupted by intolerance, a powerful message.Meanwhile, a similar effort is being spearheaded by Pam's House Blend contributor TerranceDC. He is writing Wikipedia entries on hate crime victims, to make sure those stories are easily found and can be referenced in debating hate crime legislation. As always, humanizing the issue and showing that it has happened to people they could imagine knowing and loving is a very potent argument.
... Willem was an artist and writer who lived mostly in poverty with his younger lover Jan. Willem organized a group made up of mostly gay men one of whom was a tailor. This tailor made "costumes" that resembled police uniforms. Donning these "uniforms" the group was allowed to enter a government records office and, after tranquilizing the guards and moving them to a safe place, the group set fire to the building. The building held thousands of files of Jews and others that were marked for deportation to death camps. This action delayed the deportation and in some cases actually saved the lives of many that the Nazis had marked for death but had not yet rounded up. Someone betrayed Willem and his group and a few months later most were executed.
Before Willem was executed, Willem said "Let the world know that homosexuals are not cowards".
Exhibit to honor Gay American Heroes
A group of LGBT activists (including Scott Hall, Frank Kameny, US Representative Barney Frank and Amazing Race winner Chip Arndt) are working towards the creation of a memorial to victims of anti-gay hate crimes.
The effort, Gay American Heroes, aims to "honor and remember LGBT victims of hate crimes" while also seeking to increase awareness about violent crimes against LGBT people. The exhibit will show pictures of hate crime victims, along with their names and stories, on a 100 foot long display of rainbow colored panels. The exhibit is meant to travel and be displayed in college campuses, gay pride events and other communities.
It will include interactive elements including an "Adopt-A-Hero" program that will send a card to friends and family of the Hero, letting them know that their loved one has not been forgotten. Visitors will also be able to submit the name of a friend, family member or lover who was lost to a hate crime or print out information about one of the exhibit's Heroes to take home.
More information about the project can be found at the Foundation's website:http://www.gayamericanheroes.com/
The exhibit hopes to be completed in December.The power of an exhibit like this is that it makes people see hate crime victims as people, rather than statistics. By hearing stories of the Heroes, strained claims that adding LGBT people to hate crime protections will stifle the free speech of anti-gay activists lose their power. I'm reminded of Lavender Liberal's video tribute to Hate Crime victims, which made it hard not to see the tragedy of all these lives interrupted by intolerance, a powerful message.Meanwhile, a similar effort is being spearheaded by Pam's House Blend contributor TerranceDC. He is writing Wikipedia entries on hate crime victims, to make sure those stories are easily found and can be referenced in debating hate crime legislation. As always, humanizing the issue and showing that it has happened to people they could imagine knowing and loving is a very potent argument.
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