Subscribe to this blog's feedOkay, don’t get me wrong. Last night’s Prop 8 demo in New York City was inspiring on many levels. The turn-out was huge. The fact that it all happened virally online, starting with a single Facebook event posted only three days earlier by a 26-year-old (great work, Corey Johnson!), amazes me. And what happened last night is part of something huge – the reawakening of our national gay rights movement. As Rex Wockner said, this is Stonewall 2.0.
But allow an old queen to bitch a little. At the risk of sounding like your grandmother saying “you should have seen how we did it in the old days,” these Facebook demos could use a facelift from the ghosts of ACT UP.
Let’s start with the visuals. Instead of this:
We got this:
God loves gay marriage? Yuck! Where were our leather-wearing East Village graphic artists when we needed them?
Where were the affinity groups with their creative side-shows like hanging banners from the temple’s rooftop? How about an angry speech or two to get the crowd riled up? A PA system would have worked best, but even someone on a stepladder with a megaphone would have done the trick. Can you imagine if Whoopi had addressed the crowd?
Instead, it was a very happy but low energy event by ACT UP standards. The chants died quickly, probably because half the crowd was busy talking or texting on their cell phones (“where r u? i’m sort of in the middle. where?”).
But I couldn’t argue with the turn-out. It matched ACT UP’s biggest demos. And the diversity of the crowd was wonderful. It was obvious that many of the twenty-somethings (and younger) were demonstrating for the first time. They seemed thrilled by it.
And that’s what matters most.
Sure, there are distinct advantages to in-person planning sessions that Facebook doesn’t afford – how can folks achieve a strong creative focus on the World Wild Web? But you can’t argue with the speed and numbers of this new organizing method.
So please don’t confuse this old-timer’s ramblings with some sort of negativity. I got to watch our community rise up again. I’ve been waiting for this for twenty years.
The hornets’ nest has been stirred. If we can merge some of the old techniques with the new technologies, nothing will stop us.
Credit where it's due: most of those ACT UP graphics were the work of the brilliant collective Gran Fury. This whole Activism 4.0 thing is just over a week old, we'll get some good looking graphics worked out soon I'm sure.
What we need most of all is our own MLK!
We have no leader, no lightning rod, no focal point to amplify the voices and message.
Who will lead this CIVIL rights movement?
I was there that cold day at 'stop the church' etc. Fond memories of amazing times...
So this protest was indeed a really great sign that gives me a lot of hope. I actually hand-painted some signs that were quite arty and to the point " Thou shalt not fuck with us" on a tablet-shaped board for example( No-one will show that on the media anyway! ) We could have done with an order of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to rally the rather boringly dressed crowd. Anyone know of a chapter/Order in NYC? Anyway as long as they keep " fucking with us" I think we're going to see some wonderful reactions....That's the only faith I have.
ACT UP
I couldn't agree more Peter. But ActUp wasn't born live at it's first event either. As a capitol "A" Atheist, I was cringing at the God loves.. banner. But this isn't really my issue; I got comfortable with being a sexual criminal a long time ago. I'm doin' it for the kids, and the lesbians who seem to be the ones so eager to get married. Who were happy to march in solidarity with a lot of gays in the ActUp/treatment issue battles, despite being marginal-stakeholders in that issue. I think Dan Savage is the new media darling of this, as he well deserves to be. If we can keep up the momentum on the actions (and not get all fire-bomb-y), we'll win the war for hearts and minds, as ActUp did. It was heartwarming to see old Anne Northrup with a bullhorn again, and I was straining to find Maxine, but never did.
"So please don’t confuse this old-timer’s ramblings with some sort of negativity."
I'd be surprised if anyone did. I think you gave a great and warm image (both the picture, and your description) of the march, but I disagree with your reaction of that banner.
Going by that photo - THAT is a Front Page picture for a newspaper, or a web image that can be utilized in facebook, or any other social networking site, AND, will make sense to whoever views it, no matter where it is posted.
Frankly the simplicity of that banner tells a story much better then all fancy graphics and great slogans. A small case in point is that the sea of smaller signs are lost in that pic.
I've seen countless numbers of news images of demonstrators marching, and unfortunately we have become attuned and desensitized to most of these as they all begin to just look like any large groups of people; one can subsequently gloss over such pics without any impact. That image (mainly because of what was on banner) grabbed my attention because I stopped to read the banner, and it wasn't what I expected.
Since the issue for many is about turning the public tide against religious assertions that gay marriage is against God's wishes, I think that wording is pretty smart.
Do I think we need to make this a religious argument? NO.
Do I think the other side already has? Yep!
And we got to fight them on their points and issues as well as the ours if we want to win this.
As such, that banner does two things in my mind - it shows gays as not wanting to destroy the "sacred" institution of marriage but accept it as theirs (e.g. bully for us as good God fearing folks), and more importantly, it reaches out to those who are uncertain about us and our right to marriage.
And there is what I think is the main point of all the marches.
I wasn't there, but understand that I got the power of that image (in one second) what that march was all about, and it was not anger at being denied, or want for retaliation. No, it was a request for recognition of what (I believe) ALREADY exists in the most people's sub consciousness: We are equal of them; we believe in much of the same as they do; and we deserve the same rights to exercise those beliefs as they.
The marches are not for those who agree that Prop 8 was wrong, nor is it a chance for us to feel good about our strength in numbers, or certainty that we can do this... because we can't do this - at least not without those who voted Yes on 8 (in reality, theory, or by abstentionism) out of ignorance instead of hate.
At least that's my take on the banner and the march.
My last thought is about the web 2.0 acvtivism. Yes. It needs guidance and it needs help, but as others have asked, did ACT-UP start in a vaccuum?
There are two burdens that I see here, and there is one for each generation:
The younger web gen has the burden of waking up and organizing, and seeking some guidance from those with the battle years experience. Just because they are more communications/networking savvy doesn't mean they know who to translate that into the world of concrete and asphalt activism.
But there is also an equal burden of those activists of a certain age (New Larry Kramer Play title?) to reach out to the younger generation, in what must be an offering without ego of guidance on how to take translate the exuberance of youth and the instantaneous web into a long term and committed new age of gay activism.
Frankly I agree with you, Peter - I truly am hopeful that this just may be the dawn of that age
"God loves gay marriage? Yuck! Where were our leather-wearing East Village graphic artists when we needed them?"
How about this? Maybe the movement has grown up. Matured past the teenaged rebellion stage. Wishes to be taken seriously. Prefers to build bridges rather than destroy them a la throwing condoms around St. Pat's Cathedral and accusing those who disagree with us of hatred rather than misunderstanding.
So your leather wearing East Villagers were already in bed because the demo was past their senior-citizens bedtimes. Bless their hearts, they fought the fight back in the day, but they're retired now. And the movement progresses differently.
I'd like to nominate my rabbi, Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum (http://www.cbst.org/popups/bios/rsk.shtml), for the role of MLK.
Peter, i missed you! where were you? i was marshalling up at the front. a couple of things:
it was VERY high energy at the beginning of the demo when we were jammed up against the Mormon temple, and at the front of the march as we went down Broadway. in fact, it was a little too high energy at times - i.e, just barely under control. but you know how these things are - energy dissipates the bigger the crowd, because not everyone can see what's going on. and this thing drew a bigger crowd than anything Act Up ever did in NYC. (wasn't our biggest draw at Stop The Church, where we had 2000 or so? i'm pretty sure there was at least a solid 5000 last night.)
the banner was by Gilbert Baker, who created the rainbow flag. i had no problem with the word God even though i'm nonreligious myself. you KNOW how hard Act Up got hammered for being antireligious at Stop The Church. at this demo, we were yelling at another big religious building. having "God" on the banner was a way to diffuse criticisms in advance. it was like Obama wearing the flag pin: a way to disarm your opponents.
Straight girl here, 110% for gay marriage, but sorry, guys, back in the day, I thought ACT UP were a bunch of jerks. You don't win friends and influence people by screaming in their faces.
You win them over by showing them, hey, normal guy/girl here, love my family, just want to do the right thing and be a good citizen and support my family, I'm all about being responsible and taking care of my family, here's me doing the right thing by being an engaged citizen and just want to be with my family, just hanging out here, not gonna go away any time soon, but you know, just having a good time with my family.
Quiet determination is what impresses me about my gay friends, and it is what will impress other Americans.
PS. I am so over the Warhol style graphics, eg the Reagan poster. Believe me, it's convincing no one these days. These kids have the right idea.
God Loves Gay Marriage???????????
I'm sorry I don't understand it either. It is just plain weird and too bad. It actually tamped down the message and probably affected coverage.
And why speak for God? 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.
But the problem is emblematic of the "No on Prop 8 Campaign" mess in California...they obviously also couldn't figure out a decent message.
Peter asks a good question: where is Gran Fury. They knew how to communicate through provocation and design and rarely failed to be effective.
"your leather wearing East Villagers were already in bed because the demo was past their senior-citizens bedtimes. Bless their hearts, they fought the fight back in the day, but they're retired now. And the movement progresses differently"
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.
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."
@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.
As true today as it was twenty years ago: "THEY SAY 'GET BACK'; WE SAY 'FIGHT BACK!!!!"
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.
"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.
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.
http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2008/11/chaos-in-san-francisco-as-anti-gay.html
Probably not a great idea to get violent.
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.