Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 17:58:39 -0800 (PST) From: Liz Highleyman <liz at black-rose.com> To: queerleft at dorothy.queernet.org
Gary says:
> You're right,
> "Queer" particapation is minimal. Minimal period....
> I suggest a much better topic. Why is "queer" participation in the
> pregressive or anti-globalization movement to miniscule?
Actually, this is in fact the topic. But I want to have a good overview of what kind of queer activism is happening in order to lay some groundwork.
I don't actually have a good explanation. There certainly have been many queers participating, but its generally been progressive activists who happen to be queer, rather than an organized queer presence. As someone involved in the anti-corporate globalization movement myself, I haven't seen a lot of homophobia that would keep queers out -- heterosexism, yes, but I postulate that it's easier to address the heterosexism of non-queer progressives that to move mainstream GLBT people in a more progressive direction.
The participation of people of color has also been low, but at least there are many commentators and activists who recognize this and are discussing why it's so, whereas the queer presence -- or lack thereof -- has all but passed unnoticed (even after 3 of the people arrested and held on unprecedently high bails in Philly at the RNC were long-time queer and AIDS activists).
I'd certainly appreciate any comments people have on this issue -- this topics was brought up here awhile back after the Seattle protests in November 1999, but no one seemed to "bite" -- maybe it's time to try again.
So what do you think? Do queers have a better opportunity to achieve broad-ranging goals in a progressive multi-issue movement that right now is not very queer-inclusive, or within an identity-politics-focused GLBT movement? This relates to what we've been discussing here recently about whether issues of people of color, youth, poor and working people, the enviroment, death penalty, etc. can ever feel more that "tacked on" to the GLBT movement. Well, then, is the GLBT movement the best place to address these issues, or should we work as out queers in a movement that is already focused on multiple issues? Or is there a "third way"?
-Liz
P.S. By all means, forward to non-queer progressive lists; I'd love to hear what they have to say! ==================== To post, send your message to queerleft at queernet.org. To unsubscribe, send mail to majordomo at queernet.org; put the line
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