Good progressive queer. Bad centrist queer. And we lefties need to laugh a lot more
The San Francisco Bay Guardian did a feature story this week and believe it or not, it wasn't on public power. Don't worry. Bruce and Tim are still at it and we love them for it. They did do an editorial on community aggregation.
The cover story is on whether SF is still a gay Mecca. The writer, Lynn Rapoport asked me whether I thought SF was a gay Mecca and I still stand by my original statement:
When I said that, Lynn laughed nervously. I actually kind of laughed for real even though I really meant it. Mecca really does mean so many things. I think about moving back to my home state Minnesota and well, while it really is a beautiful state, my first worry isn't whether I'll fit in on Saturday night with the Rainbow Cloggers...
It was a great article and Lynn is really an excellent writer. Lynn is the Managing Editor for the Bay Guardian who covers cultural trends, bars and clubs, sexuality, travel, and dogs.
You look at the topics she covers and you think, “She has to be queer.” Travel and dogs definitely gives her away. When I spoke to her, I just went ahead and asked. Yep. I was right.
No disrespect is intended to my friends at the Bay Guardian who I admire and like very much, but she did a great job of covering queer culture and queer politics. Maybe it is because she has a queer sensibility, maybe it is because I don't think you can really "get" queer politics unless you get queer culture or have a queer sensibility. Or maybe it is because the best part of queer politics flows from our queer cultural life.
Maybe our friends at the Guardian will let her write about the intersection of culture and politics more often because they are one in the same for some of us… And she is really funny and we lefties need to laugh a lot more.
And maybe they will let Steve Jones write about Burning Man some more since Burning Man is much more political, more interesting, more relevant than half of what goes on in City Hall.
I spend a lot of time-sometimes too much- thinking about queer history, queer theory, queer culture, gender and sexuality. I get really frustrated with the reductionist paradigms that queer politics is seen through and that we often get caught up in ridiculous conversations like the current conversation about the relationship between Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club and the Harvey Milk Club. There is a dehumanizing element to politics that often reveals itself through false polarizations. Good progressive queer…Bad centrist queer… never the twain should meet. Or talk. Or work together. Especially when the rest of the country is out to get them. But what if they both hang out at the same bar or think the same girl/boy is cute or think each other is cute…or just want to hang out and have a beer or smoke a cigarette in front of Fox Plaza or shoot the shit about the latest scandal in City Hall.
If these things happen, well, it probably will undermine Western Civilization, don’t you think? Sometimes a friend of mine at Alice and I laugh at how profoundly threatening people outside the LGBT community find it that we are friendly, that we aren’t constantly attacking each other. Some in the LGBT political community have even suggested that there are those out there who seem to enjoy exploiting our differences and love it when we are pitted against each other/tearing into one another. Something that is common in marginalized/minority communities.
I have learned a couple of things by being part of the Labor movement. More than a couple, but I am on the slow side so it has taken me more time than it might others.
Well, we really are stronger together. And that you do your best to work together even when you disagree. Sometimes you go your separate ways (read Andy Stern, SEIU and the AFL-CIO) but your heart is with the movement and the issues and attacking each other in a knee jerk, mindless way never moves the issues forward.
My heart is with the movement. And with the community. Cuz they/you are my brothers and sisters. In Labor, in the LGBT Community, in the tenant community, and in the progressive community. And if you want, I’ll even walk a precinct.
But in my head and in my heart I hear Emma Goldman say, “If I can't dance I don't want to be part of your revolution,". Or some say she said, "If I can't dance to it, it's not my revolution," Well, if I can’t be queer, I don’t want to be part of the revolution; if we can’t have sex, we don’t want to be part of the revolution, and if we can’t look sexy, who would want to be part of the revolution?
Ultimately, this stuff doesn’t really matter. All the talking about who is really progressive and who isn’t. All that really matters to me is going to a Trans March on Friday night and standing with my brothers and sisters of all genders and sexualities. People like my own personal transgender heroes Cecilia Chung and Theresa Sparks. And damn, I would have felt a whole lot better if all the progressives thought it was progressive to vote for her for commissioner last year. I thought it was progressive. Dion Manley, his wife Hope, and their baby. Standing with my gay brothers and lesbian sisters who are genuine, long-term allies. Listening to Shawna Virago rock out. Catching sight of my ex-girlfriend who is now my ex-boyfriend and doesn’t that just make my head hurt sometimes. And don't we love the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Perpetually? Then watching Sam Davis pull the whole thing all together and we should all bow down and thank him for everything he did to make it all happen. And then, after all is said and done, I’ll light a candle for Gwen Araujo because Newark wasn’t a Gay Mecca. Because Gwen couldn’t walk down the street and not get killed.
Stand Proud. Spread Love.
The cover story is on whether SF is still a gay Mecca. The writer, Lynn Rapoport asked me whether I thought SF was a gay Mecca and I still stand by my original statement:
For instance, when I ask Haaland for examples of San Francisco's ultimate Mecca status, he mulls it over for a second, then offers, "I generally feel like I can walk down the street and not get killed."
When I said that, Lynn laughed nervously. I actually kind of laughed for real even though I really meant it. Mecca really does mean so many things. I think about moving back to my home state Minnesota and well, while it really is a beautiful state, my first worry isn't whether I'll fit in on Saturday night with the Rainbow Cloggers...
It was a great article and Lynn is really an excellent writer. Lynn is the Managing Editor for the Bay Guardian who covers cultural trends, bars and clubs, sexuality, travel, and dogs.
You look at the topics she covers and you think, “She has to be queer.” Travel and dogs definitely gives her away. When I spoke to her, I just went ahead and asked. Yep. I was right.
No disrespect is intended to my friends at the Bay Guardian who I admire and like very much, but she did a great job of covering queer culture and queer politics. Maybe it is because she has a queer sensibility, maybe it is because I don't think you can really "get" queer politics unless you get queer culture or have a queer sensibility. Or maybe it is because the best part of queer politics flows from our queer cultural life.
Maybe our friends at the Guardian will let her write about the intersection of culture and politics more often because they are one in the same for some of us… And she is really funny and we lefties need to laugh a lot more.
And maybe they will let Steve Jones write about Burning Man some more since Burning Man is much more political, more interesting, more relevant than half of what goes on in City Hall.
I spend a lot of time-sometimes too much- thinking about queer history, queer theory, queer culture, gender and sexuality. I get really frustrated with the reductionist paradigms that queer politics is seen through and that we often get caught up in ridiculous conversations like the current conversation about the relationship between Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club and the Harvey Milk Club. There is a dehumanizing element to politics that often reveals itself through false polarizations. Good progressive queer…Bad centrist queer… never the twain should meet. Or talk. Or work together. Especially when the rest of the country is out to get them. But what if they both hang out at the same bar or think the same girl/boy is cute or think each other is cute…or just want to hang out and have a beer or smoke a cigarette in front of Fox Plaza or shoot the shit about the latest scandal in City Hall.
If these things happen, well, it probably will undermine Western Civilization, don’t you think? Sometimes a friend of mine at Alice and I laugh at how profoundly threatening people outside the LGBT community find it that we are friendly, that we aren’t constantly attacking each other. Some in the LGBT political community have even suggested that there are those out there who seem to enjoy exploiting our differences and love it when we are pitted against each other/tearing into one another. Something that is common in marginalized/minority communities.
I have learned a couple of things by being part of the Labor movement. More than a couple, but I am on the slow side so it has taken me more time than it might others.
Well, we really are stronger together. And that you do your best to work together even when you disagree. Sometimes you go your separate ways (read Andy Stern, SEIU and the AFL-CIO) but your heart is with the movement and the issues and attacking each other in a knee jerk, mindless way never moves the issues forward.
My heart is with the movement. And with the community. Cuz they/you are my brothers and sisters. In Labor, in the LGBT Community, in the tenant community, and in the progressive community. And if you want, I’ll even walk a precinct.
But in my head and in my heart I hear Emma Goldman say, “If I can't dance I don't want to be part of your revolution,". Or some say she said, "If I can't dance to it, it's not my revolution," Well, if I can’t be queer, I don’t want to be part of the revolution; if we can’t have sex, we don’t want to be part of the revolution, and if we can’t look sexy, who would want to be part of the revolution?
Ultimately, this stuff doesn’t really matter. All the talking about who is really progressive and who isn’t. All that really matters to me is going to a Trans March on Friday night and standing with my brothers and sisters of all genders and sexualities. People like my own personal transgender heroes Cecilia Chung and Theresa Sparks. And damn, I would have felt a whole lot better if all the progressives thought it was progressive to vote for her for commissioner last year. I thought it was progressive. Dion Manley, his wife Hope, and their baby. Standing with my gay brothers and lesbian sisters who are genuine, long-term allies. Listening to Shawna Virago rock out. Catching sight of my ex-girlfriend who is now my ex-boyfriend and doesn’t that just make my head hurt sometimes. And don't we love the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Perpetually? Then watching Sam Davis pull the whole thing all together and we should all bow down and thank him for everything he did to make it all happen. And then, after all is said and done, I’ll light a candle for Gwen Araujo because Newark wasn’t a Gay Mecca. Because Gwen couldn’t walk down the street and not get killed.
Stand Proud. Spread Love.
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