This year’s NY Pride marked the 40th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Riots. During a time when raids of gay bars were rather common, the queer community finally organized itself in a fight against police brutality one night in June, almost immediately after receiving the news of Judy Garland’s death — a death that deeply impacted many members of the LGBT community. Ever since, this has been cited as the moment that gave birth to the modern gay liberation movement, and as I myself marched in NY Pride this year, I passed by a number of Stonewall veterans who were looked to with great honor and respect. One of the veterans in particularly was carrying a sign that read “WE NEED A MILLION STONEWALLS,” which I thought was particularly striking. The sign, of course, was not suggesting that more raids and rioting must happen, but that our current generation must revolutionize the way these Stonewall veterans did — but with more relevance to the issues we are facing today, of course, as raids and police brutality are no longer considered normative.
Unfortunately, though, the Stonewall sign seems to have taken on a more literal significance after this weekend. Though our community has seen much progress in the time that has passed since June 1969, our commemoration of the event that sparked the modern gay liberation movement coincides with a raid extraordinarily reminiscent of the raid on Stonewall. This past weekend, Fort Worth police raided a new gay bar called Rainbow Lounge. On that night, Rainbow Lounge was itself remembering Stonewall by screening documentaries about the event, and the night was going well until police showed up unexpectedly to make arrests — particularly targeting the most effeminate looking men. This targeting of individuals in a gay bar combined with the excessive violence used by police — violence that landed one man in the hospital with a fractured skull — is disheartening enough when we think of it in terms of history, but when we consider the fact that this is continuing in the year 2009, it’s difficult to still feel optimistic about the accomplishments we’ve made in society.
To add to the striking similarities between these two events, we have recently lost our own icon. Admittedly, a comparison between Judy Garland and Michael Jackson is quite the stretch — if only because Garland was more of an LGBT icon in particular than Jackson (I suppose sister Janet is more appropriate for that label). However, that in itself is the sign of progress evident in this unfortunate raid. Why? Because today, there is no icon like Judy Garland. If that seems strange to you, let me put it this way: the LGBT community is facing a lot of battles in 2009. This raid comes amidst debates about Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, ENDA, Prop 8, and many other issues. There is so much going on within our community that it is almost impossible to keep up with it all, and just as there is no main icon within our community, we are not all dependent on one main issue, either. Our community is more diverse, more spread out, more visible and more active than ever before, and despite the constant struggle for our rights, we must remain proud of what we have accomplished and see the positive signs of change we have helped create.
If nothing else, this is for sure something we would have never heard in 1969: “Rest assured that neither the people of Fort Worth nor the government of the city of Fort Worth will tolerate discrimination against any of its citizens.” Stated by Joel Burns, a Fort Worth city councilman and Tarrant County’s first openly gay elected official, this quote should give us faith in the strength and support of our community. It should remind us that there will be plenty of battles, setbacks and disheartening moments along the way, but in the end, we know we’re facing the right direction.
(Also posted at Associated Content)
I plain and simply do not understand how people can hate someone just because they chose to love someone else. What kind of world do we live in?
Can’t we find some better outlet for our hate… like how about hating about drunk drivers, drug addicts, wife and husband beaters, rapists, child molesters and muderers? It seems like we are more caring about them having rights and fair treatment and not being discriminated against. What a fucked up world.
Exactly! It’s amazing that we even have to talk about these things in 2009, still. I don’t understand people who focus all their energy into hurting others for wanting to solidify their loving, consentual relationships when there is so much evil going on in the world that we could be fighting against instead.
the reason people “hate” the gay communtiy is they truly honestly feel they are doing “gods” work by hating them and that if they accept the gay people they will be somehow siding with the devil, I know its dumb…and these suposed christians dont realize that the person they are supposedly following NEVER once said anything against homosexuality and it did exist in jesus’ day!! the roman empire was in its glory days when jesus was alive and homosexuality was acceptable to roman society it really is only until now that “western” civilization has looked down on it now the gays back then would marry and have a child just to further his name and bloodline but would have many lovers of his choosing, and like the person above said about hating drug addicts many gays are addicts because they cannot accept themself and once they are able to stop hating on their own identity they can finally stop killing themself with drugs
You’re right. Drug abuse — along with alcoholism, eating disorders and other types of addictions — is far too prevalent within the queer community. It’s important that we understand and generate awareness about it so that we can help combat this unfortunate problem.
umm!! drug addicts??? wtf?? drug addicts are people with a problem how about instead of HATING anyone we try to help each other…yes hating becuz someone loves cock or pussy instead of pussy or cock (LOL) is ignorant. Though hating someone becuz of drug addiction is just as ignorant!! when i got back from the military I started to have a drug addiction, though with the help and love of many within my life and new people I just met I was able to turn my life around and am now in college trying to earn a degree in respiratory therapy..i know you probably didnt mean it so hurtful as I took it but maybe next time you could choose your words a lilttle better,, sorry if I came of like attacking you, i just I went through alot,, and well i really hope i deserve a second, third, hell I messed up alot for about 4 years, and lhave a good year under my belt now, and its starting to look forward now,
I can’t speak for Emily, but I’m not sure she meant it in that way. I’ve seen friends struggle tremendously with overcoming drug addictions and it’s certainly nothing I hate them for — I have all the sympathy in the world for them when I see how difficult, how controlling and how miserable their addictions are. By the same token, drug abuse is not something we want to enable by “forgiving” it. For example, we might sympathize with alcoholics and wish them the best in recovery, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to do away with DUIs, alcohol awareness programs, etc. Since she mentioned drug addicts alongside drunk drivers, I assume she was referring to the negative effects of drug abuse rather than suggesting we incite violence against them as was done in this bar raid.
In my own post, by directing our anger towards more useful things I was suggesting we gear our activism towards things that are actually harming society (which drug/alcohol abuse certainly does, ESPECIALLY those suffering with addictions).
Yes I didn’t mean it as people who recognize they have problems and are trying to help themselves. But you know what, when a drug addict smashes his car into an innocent person who’s crossing the street it DOES make them a bad person. Being gay or bi or transgender doesn’t make someone “bad”; it doesn’t hurt someone; it can’t take someone’s life away- how could you hate something that is harmless and full of love? I believe we should all love each other and focus that anger and hate to places that it’s much more deserved. And as Laur mentioned, I think it’s important to motivate people to stand up and not let something like these raids happen ever again!
And just on the drug addict/alcoholism/child molester/murder note. It’s not a disease it’s a choice. Being gay/straight/bi/transgender isn’t.