From: "Rodney Allen Bell, II, B.A." Subject: Fw: Editorial: Millennium March on Washington-A Queer Midwest Activist'sPerspective Date: Sat, 6 Jun 1998 03:07:12 -0500 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PLEASE!!! FORWARD THIS WORLDWIDE Lambda Midwest P.O. Box 45357 Kansas City, MO 64171 LambdaMidwest@juno.com or QueerMidwest@juno.com (816) 931-6829 http://www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/Stonewall/2178/index.html Editorial: Millennium March on Washington-A Queer Midwest Activist's Perspective The Millennium March on Washington, a controversial and political hot potato within the queer community, is being perceived from each person's >"world view" or "frame of reference". As I have read each activist's >opinion regarding the MMOW, I have formulated my own view as an activist >in the Queer Midwest and a past activist for 8 years in Nebraska. > > What are the real issues? Various activists and organizations have >slammed personalities (such as Robin Tyler), the organizations (such as >UFMCC, HRCF, etc.), accused organizers of being hasty and not inclusive >of others, not being concerned about the state marches planned and >generally maligning and degrading the efforts put forth by the MMOW >Committee. This is unfortunate. > > I attended the MOW 1993 and was very taken with it. It was inclusive: >there were people of every race, color, ethnicity, gender, transgender, >sexuality you could imagine and contingents representing all of the >above. I did not see any single person taking credit for organizing the >March. It was a collective effort. It was admirable, brought Pride back >to people who had lost hope in states where there is no hope, showed the >true "Rainbow" of the community and made national headlines. I don't >know or care if Robin Tyler or any other national activist has committed >any "error in judgment". What they did was a smashing success. I saw >the myriad of the 'community' like I had never seen it before. I don't >buy the rhetoric that it was exclusive and not inclusive of others. It >was for everyone in the "queer community" and I use that word widely to >include friendly straights, gays, lesbians, bi and transgendered persons >and the mixture of colors of people's skin was fabulous. To those who >are critics of the MMOW, I say "get over it" and let's move on supporting >a March that will empower our spirits, and do many other good things. > > As I see it, the Millennium March on Washington 2000 offers many good >things: 1) Nationwide exposure of what our community is composed of, 2) a >nationwide agenda of what we are fighting for (i.e. equal treatment for >g/l/b/t people in housing, employment, public accommodations, the >military, youth, marriage and health care), 3) Pride that we can take >back to our small states and spread to others, 4) a focus that will drive >the right wing crazy trying to focus on showing their true colors [The >March on Washington 1993 had the homophobes there out in full drag!!!], >5) Show the world that we have not forgotten what the issues are and we >are still going to come together every decade and bring them back to the >table of concerns whether they like it or not and finally 6) Those who >choose not to endorse or participate are losing something very important >and that is the part of sharing part of history and acknowledging our >Pride in its true colors. I say forgive whatever you carry around as >baggage from the past and work with the present committee in bringing >the best March yet. Some of the issues I've read are merely bones being >thrown on the table. Yes, there is racism, sexism and homophobia within >the queer community, but if we don't work within and only >chant/rant/rave/malign the current structure we aren't going to resolve >our differences. We share differences, but we ultimately are sharing the >same goals. I hope that someday we won't need marches to bring out >issues. The issue of classism is pervasive within the community and from >without. Dissolve America's economic system and you will solve the class >problem. Create a democratic socialist America and we would have more >power. > > I am writing from a perspective of an activist who did radical things >in Nebraska that received criticism more from within the queer community >than from without. During my stint as a queer activist at the Univ. of >Nebr., I did the following: 1) organized rallies, 2) almost got thrown in >jail because the University wanted to restrain us from handing out >condoms in public, 3) wrote grants, 4) did public relations, 5) >challenged policies to include non-discrimination, 6) created a resource >center and a hotline, 7) brought in queer entertainment, educational >issues and political speakers and 8) won awards. What might be viewed as >losses are: 1) family disownment, 2) discrimination in employment and >later on discrimination based upon being HIV+. I didn't do all of the >activist activities alone. See the URL: >http://www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/2840/h&h.html for a list of people >who have helped and were there from 1970-now. > > I am for the MMOW 2000 and encourage everyone to support it, if you >don't like something they are doing open a dialog with the committee, >don't air your dirty laundry in public on the internet and in the >straight media and take some pride. Let's quit criticizing and >ridiculing our leadership and affirm their guts and their willingness to >take risks. Let's work together. I didn't write this because the MMOW >committee wanted me to or asked me to, I wrote it because it's what I >believe in. > > As a queer midwest activist, I do the following: own a listserv list >for UNL G/L/B/T alumni, etc. and Co-Manage the Lambda Midwest email list, >which covers many states and I monitor lists from all over. I encourage >the correspondents I have within the Midwest to support this and help on >the MMOW 2000 planning committee. Let's stop the bickering and get down >to business. Enough is enough!!! > >In the Spirit of Pride, >Rodney Allen Bell, II, B.A. >Political Scientist, Queer Midwest Activist >UNLGALA List Owner, UNL GALA/AE, Inc. Chairperson and Lambda Midwest >Creator >QueerMidwest@juno.com LambdaMidwest@juno.com >Pages: >http://www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/Stonewall/2178/index.html >http://www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/2840/index.html >http://www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/6986/index.html >http://members.spree.com/lovespirit/default.asp