Subscribe to Breaking NewsWithers: What is Pride weekend without a little protest?
This actually happened a few days ago but you know how Pride works in New York. June is all pride 24/7 . Some businesses and restaurants, hoping to get those pink dollars, have the rainbow flag waving from the start of June until July 4. All of this can be a little bit overbearing. A friend last night noted he was “prided out.”
Those of you who have been with us since we were Visiblevote, will remember Pauline Park. She is the co-founder of NYGRA, the New York Association for Gender Rights Advocacy, and was the grand marshal of the 2005 New York City Pride March. Pauline has been on the city’s public airwaves this week. On Tuesday she was part of a panel on the Brian Lehrer Show that looked at gay politics since Stonewall (she had a return appearance on Friday for a more in depth conversation about the transgender legislation languishing in Albany). And on Thursday, she was part of a protest against Christine Quinn, the city’s first woman and openly gay council speaker. The protesters were skeptical of Quinn’s record, especially when it comes to pushing human rights legislation and her support of Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
“She [Quinn] has not supported a progressive LGBT agenda. In practice she has not been an ally at all of the LGBT community,” Pauline said on Friday.
Of course, and even Pauline would agree with this, there are a number of people out there who would disagree with this assessment and think when it comes to gay rights, Quinn has been right on the mark; however, what I’ve always liked about Pauline is that she never allowed her work for LGBT rights to overshadow her larger political goals. They were one in the same. She can acknowledge the historical nature of Quinn’s appointment and yet be critical of the speaker’s agenda.
I’m repeating myself but a vibrant gay politics works best when it focuses on the prizes of gay rights and larger political goals. In today’s parade, many of us will be connected by our commitment to gay liberation, but will be on the opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to other political objectives. That dichotomy shows a level of political maturity and it needs to be nurtured and supported. There is nothing wrong with having our power brokers and the folk outside looking to change the very nature of the power game. The history of the country is the tension between those two camps.
I’ll post Pride parade photos tonight and tomorrow morning.
Criticizing the gay community for not being patient while we get screwed. Nice. Really? Meanwhile, Hillary has marched in the very parade that Withers filthies.
Sometimes we put too much importance in little ting like this Mr. Whithers, Gay Pride 2009 is like ever other Pride before it, while it is an important event on the LGBT calander of event, reallly has nothing to do with the over LGBT rights Movent. It is a month of self-celebration a month of parties. It is like a Mardi Gras thaat directed toward LGBT peopl.
Pride celebration will never alter or advance the cause of the LGBT reightsmavment because it was never meant to. For Lgbt peoples it is a time to com to together in celebration and revel in the beauty of their communities.
And the Hetero-sexuals? While many of them will camein love to support their LGBT friends and family members,the majority will just b bringing their cameras to take pictures of the “freak show”.
Pride celebration, while beautiful in to scope and diversity, it is just that one big party for us( not them) Parties don’t have a mesage. Pride was never a form of protest.It is a source of local revenue. If you want to see real protest then pray that enough of our LGBT peoples( who care wough to and can get there) show up in washington so that the entire city is shut down(not just the part of government that will already on vacation! WTH??)
Protest at Pride? No one else really noticed. No one else really cared.
You are all failing to fully decipher this article. Clearly James is using subliminal messages to advocate for a fascist police state.
Note the perfectly positioned badge in the center of the picture. The two officers balancing and overshadowing the agitators with the lable “cleaners” hanging directly over. The yellow crown in the black and white field front and center of the picture furthers this same facist agenda.
More note the early reference to July 4, even though June is the month under discussion. A clear call for violent revolution. I won’t even mention all the racial signals which, as always, are more than clear enough.
Admit it Withers. You’re working with Bloomberg to creat a race-based coporate oligarchy.
Or maybe I just haven’t had enough coffee yet.
James, I typically expect to enjoy your articles, but I may have to stop reading the comments they generate.
James I’m surprised you’d show yourself at Pride, since we’re all racists.
@Jason – I’m having enough difficulty reading the lines themselves, let alone reading between them. Still, as I haven’t a clue what he’s going on about I’ll accept your analysis.
Isaac, if you read between the lines, Withers is really criticizing the gay community for its impatience and outrage against Obama. Defending Quinn is a thinly disguised veil of again lecturing the gay community about Obama. Just substitute Obama for Quinn and you see what this blog is really about:
“a vibrant gay politics works best when it focuses on the prizes of gay rights and larger political goals. In today’s parade, many of us will be connected by our commitment to gay liberation, but will be on the opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to other political objectives.”
Wow. Never before have I found myself so desperate to reclaim 30 seconds of my life. I have seen posts you’ve made in the past that have been ill-conceived, but at least they’ve had a point. This was not only pointless, but barely coherent, flying off in multiple tangents and failing to reach a destination each time.
Looking forward to the pictures though as I wasn’t able to be there this time.