I try to avoid politics here because my very liberal political beliefs piss people off and as you knows, "girls just want to have fun!" But the end of DOMA has brought up an issue that has been stuck in my craw for years, that is, the marginalization of our participation in Stonewall.
Reading some gay histories, you would never know that transwomen were at Stonewall, when in fact, if it wasn't for transwomen, Stonewall may never have happened.
Transwomen fought the cops at Stonewall, transwomen were arrested at Stonewall and as a result, transwomen shined a light on the years of abuse that the TLGB community had suffered at the hands of “the Man.”
My good friend, Diana, who writes a lot about trans politics over on her blog, covered this topic yesterday. I urge you to read what she wrote.
It's never "closet queens" that will make change in the world, no matter how much they love the vicarious thrills of imagination.
ReplyDeleteOut is the only choice that make us and our world stronger and more healthy. Only those willing to be seen as "flamboyant" can take the load and do the work.
The key questions in the TBLG area is this: How queer is too queer? How queer is not queer enough?
The more we stay hidden and apparently assimilated, the more we submerge our own nature, and nothing grows vigorous and healthy in the darkness.
Out is light. The closet is dark.
And that is the lesson of Stonewall, the lesson of Pride,
Stana,
ReplyDeleteYour very liberal political views do not piss me off as long as I still have the freedom and liberty to disagree. I think that both you and I thought it was wrong for Clinton to advocate and then sign into law the very flawed DOMA bill. I just suspect that we may have disliked DOMA for different reasons. As a conservative, republican, libertarian I just do not want the Federal government growing and getting involved in my personal life. As it is they tell me how much water I can use in my toilet bowt and what kind of lights or cars I have to buy. I do not want them in my bedroom or defining my personal relationships. I find irony in SCOTUS striking DOMA based on tax inequality.
The tax code is a hornet's nest of inequality. We have all been watching as a massive and growing Federal government with a very political administration has been using the IRS and other arms of the Federal government to impede the free speech rights of those who may disagree with the current administration.
In addition to agreeing with your celebration on the demise of DOMA I think that the political pressures that are revising history to eliminate that mention of the role that Transwomen played at Stonewall is wrong. I think that your post is an accurate recap of Stonewall.
You and I came of age in the 1960s. Many gays were still in the closet. It was the transwomen who were out and about. They were visable and wrongly vilified. It was the image of the police taking action against 'men in dresses' that sparked the beginning of the movement.
I find that even today there is a lack of understanding if not a disconnect between LG and T people. The times they are a changing but we are not there yet.
Pax
Pat
Pax Pat,
DeleteSaid it all for me. I stopped being a party cool aid drinker of Democrat or Republican, I care more for this nation and Constitutional law and Bill of Rights. Thank you Pax Pat.
Pat, Stana -
DeleteAs much as I don't think that Slick Willie signed DOMA to prevent worse things from happening to us, I do believe that this was the effect of DOMA. The mob (referring to the GOP in the Red States, and not the Mafia, a more respectable institution) was running scared, and they needed to be thrown a bone. By giving the people in the Red states something that slowed them down, proponents of change could build up their cases in court (much like the civil rights struggles of the 1940's, 1950's and 1960's) while gaining public acceptance for their positions.
The task is not yet complete. GL's are well on their way to full acceptance. But what about the T's? Will we get the full support of the GL's? Only time will tell.
M
Just a little fact about Stonewall. There were no "straight" men who like to play at dressing as women there protesting. Its was gay men and lesbians along with transsexuals and drag queens.
ReplyDeleteI arrived in NYC shortly after Stonewall and knew many of those that protested and there were no transvestites. After Stonewall I also was involved in bailing out many who were involved that were later arrested on other silliness. We cared for each other back then but that was then and nowadays it is very different.
Next thing I expect is for men in dresses claiming they started the Stonewall incident.
As for Sherrylee: why do we have to be worried about what is too queer or not queer enough? That sounds like a problem you have personally. As for the "out" is the only way I assume you claim you are speaking for lesbians because that is not relevant to those born transsexual. If we decide to live as "just" women or men we live. If we decided to be"trans" for life ten we are activists or open about it. Nobody born transsexual owes anything to anyone else other than living as good a life as they can.
I'm always intrigued when I hear an American use the term Liberal, as a general rule a liberal American seems to be equal to a conservative European, yet in the UK Stonewall is known as a pressure group not as an event.
ReplyDeletePaula -
DeleteRemember - "Liberal" and "Conservative" are relative terms. America is a more traditional place than Europe (in general), so our "conservative" may be considered "far right" in Europe. Sadly, we got stuck with every religious outcast from Europe, along with their lunacies. If we had been lucky, like Australia, we'd have received your "criminals" - a more honorable and reasonable social class....
M