Monday, June 17, 2013

Thoughts on article on Manning/military, etc.

Regarding the Summer 2013 issue of UltraViolet/LAGAI-Queer Insurrection:

It is interesting to see/hear the experiences of others in the movement/cause, and thus their views on issues, such as the Manning San Francisco Pride March conflict.

I have never been involved in a Pride event—although representatives of the orgaization did.  I think of writer Joe Hansen who represented Tangents/HIC in the first (1970) one in L.A. (Christopher Street West) and the fact that Don Slater argued with the organizers over their rejection of some people/groups.  Specifically I think of the Gay Nazis.  Don of course felt a homosexual archive/library had to have material on all aspects of a movement.  He did think the organizers of an event had a right and legal/moral duty to control who and what was done under their control.   But being truly gay, and playing devil's advocate, he had  fun fussing that these people—whom we thought were FBI—were being “discriminated” against.  We believed that the FBI also showed up when we (and other groups) did the military/homosexual events in 1966, our Motorcade.  We used them and there was no trouble.

So you see Manning is old news to us.  He combines the issues you are concerned with then-how to view the military, national security, who represents our community in public event, etc.

By the way, I think  RFD is the only other community publication that is concerned with prisoners.


Best wishes in your work.

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