> Brian, these are just ignorant statements. I usually expect
something more reflective from your emails.
These statements reflect my experience with anarchists in the queer and AIDS struggles.
> You are arguing that your queer comrades did more than
us destructive anarchists.
I am arguing that the approach of ACT UP was more effective than the approach of anarchists.
> You've opted to ignore the many queer anarchists and anarchist
allies who have supported queer rights over the decades.
I realize that many queer anarchists and anarchist allies have supported queer rights. But I believe that their destructive approach is not the most effective one for achieving queer rights and equality.
> Some of the more famous queers happened to be anarchists:
Alan Ginsberg, Harry Hay, and many others.
I knew Allen and (less well) Harry. Allen considered himself a Buddhist anarchist. Harry's anarchism was also based in his intense spirituality. The anti-spirituality of some anarchists was alien to them.
They were completely open. They did not hide their faces (Allen rarely hid his body). They also both had a deep abhorence of violence and destruction.
> I have anarchist friends who have been in ACT-UP and
worked with ACT-UP and AIDS coalitions.
And they could be divisive in ACT UP. Many anarchists did not like the fact thet PHIV's and PWA's were gaining seats at pharmaceutical tables. They had the drugs, we needed them.. What were we supposed to do? Keep ourselves at a polite remove so that our principles remained intact while our bodies wasted away?
> And I became an activist in the mid-80s for several reasons,
including the situation when I was recruited by queer students at
KU to run for student senate to help them protect the funding of
their on campus organization.
Bu I thought anarchists were against hierarchies and governments and all that?
> Since we have problems with asking governments to fix problems,
we concentrate instead on practical direct action to solve problems and
create social change.
And that is part of the problem. There is no way to get access to drugs without government help. We also needed government to help with housing. Squats are nice, but often not very practicable for PWA's and PHIV's.
> Our reputation for destruction is a bit overhyped. ;-)
I hope so. Violence and destruction go against everything Allen and Harry stood for.
Brian Dauth Queer Buddhist Resister