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http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2008/11/chaos-in-san-francisco-as-anti-gay.html Probably not a great idea to get violent.
Plain and simple; The Success of Actup was due to 1) Primal rage;the energy that the threat (and loss) of death created. 2)The ability of activists to issue talking points & sound bites and stick to them; not being co/opted into general social justice issues but staying specific to our own. 3) Articulate, attractive and educated carriers of the message who looked like reasonable people, and did not step on the message(i.e.not in drag or nude, or wearing a bone in their nose). 4)Clever media stunts & strong graphics to keep it fresh. 5)A mix of old people with tactical advice (and practical experience from the early gay movements and the womans movement) and younger people to bring a fresh interpretation. Actup happened organically out of need, and when people felt the need subside, they voted with their feet to move on. Hopefully this new movement will bear the same fruit.
"Not so fast yunguns. I was marching in 1973. I spent my 33rd anniversary with my partner at a demonstration in seattle. The commenter who wrote the above displays a classic bit of ignorance when they so dismiss folks older than they. Hate to tell you but it's not that different now than it was then. Open your eyes and stop being so f** condescending." It's Peter Staley who's being condescending, claiming that the old way is the only way. Yes, the old way had merit in its day, but it certainly isn't the only way. Today's protests proved that. Stonewall 2.0 is just as valid as Stonewall 1.0 was.
Straight man, here--sexually and comedically. I've been depressed by the Prop H8 disaster, but heartened by the way it's activated the movement. Though I was only 10-15yo, I think Act Up!'s heyday was necessary, neon graphics and radicalism and all. I mean, people were dying left and right, and a substantial number of Americans were still in the 'aids kills fags dead' stage. Plus, the 80s were high tide for the PC movement and Act Up! seemed to float above the constraints of its time. It was a tremendous inspiration to me politically, not specifically because of the issue. And we all know the UNTOUCHABLES line, "don't bring a knife to a gunfight." But this is a different era. We have The Daily Show, SNL and the Internet. Radical anger and flaunting the extremes of gay culture is more boring than anything else. As a Politics junkie, civil rights hawk and a Hollywood agent, I have three observations, so far: 1. Dan Savage is a star. I was blown away by his cable appearances this week. Dan can be as vulgar as a drag queen and boring as a young parent... so it came as a surprise to see how whip smart, incisive and lawyerly he can be. It doesn't hurt that he has the whippet think bone structure for television. 2. Humor, wit and satire can go a long way both in bridging what divides America and in making cogent political arguments. Take a look at some of the signage from LA's rallies: http://la.curbed.com/archives/2008/11/angry_prop_8_protesters_are_also_very_funny.php#more Finally, like Howard Dean's post 2004 strategy, we need to focus on what's important. We only lost by a few points. Though I oppose the self-hating HRC strategy of not saying "Gay" or "Civil Rights," Heterosexuals who made that 48% No vote happen are a big part of the winning strategy going forward.
As true today as it was twenty years ago: "THEY SAY 'GET BACK'; WE SAY 'FIGHT BACK!!!!"
@lebecka: "You don't win friends and influence people by screaming in their faces." I have to disagree here, Lebecka. It's not an either/or, it's a both. ACT UP functioned best as shock troops to make an apathetic and hostile nation take note that we were not a bunch of sad, passive, victims to be pitied and shuffled along, but vital, living, breathing human beings who were being mistreated and damn angry about it. And given the publicity and anger around our demonstrations--some of which were, as Peter points out, clever and eye-catching--the "nice fags in suits" got a lot more access from the powers that be because they represented a reasonable alternative. Activism comes in many sizes, shapes, colors, volumes, and forms. The *spontaneous* eruption of organizing and activity around this issue, post-Prop 8, sends a strong message to the public and to the churches. And you know that behind the scenes, the deal-makers and the politickers have a little more strength because the people across the table have just seen 10,000 of us in the streets demanding that they pay attention.
Hopefully my fellow San Franciscans will know better. The second they unroll that thing tomorrow, this big gay family -- two dads, two young sons -- is going home. Troy is exactly right: "The issue is really not about whether God or the church or any of the pious thinkers on the right who say they represent god love or hate gay marriage...the issue is that gay people are not equal under the law."
Mike Bartley
Does anyone else find it humorous that we are blogging about the protests of the old days and wondering what is the future of online protest postings. As for waiting for our own MLK, I've been waiting 20 years. Be your own MLK. If you're not the lead dog the view never changes.
November 29, 2008