Coco @ RootsCamp...Part II
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| Also listed in: COEqual | GLBT Progressives |
After my run-in with the 2008 ballot issues, I decided to take a different turn. I attended a session entitled "Way beyond marriage: Queer Politics 101." The leaders, after seeing this void on the board, decided to inject RootsCamp with some sexual identity conversation.
Were were a good sized group but we were able to do intros and talk about what "queer" means to us. (More on that below)
I went there because I don't think a queer community exists in Denver. There aren't any spaces here for lgbt people to talk focus on community issues. I wanted to know if I was wrong. from what we talked about, the answer is no, despite there being groups on ProgressNowAction and Connexion. We've got to make some changes as a community if we're going to be considered part of the progressive movement...let's use the resources we have...
We agreed on "queer" being a charged historical term that is often considered offensive. Some people would never consent to that label. Others, like me, prefer it.
For me, "Gay" and "Queer" are very different terms. Both are loaded with connotations, emotions, and history. They are not interchangeable (much like black/african american or latino/hispanic...) though most in the progressive movement have yet to hear those perspectives.
Anyway, queer is a much more inclusive term that means we are together and welcome different sexual and gender expressions. We are also wholly committed to social justice.
Gay, on the other hand, says assimilation to me. It says we want to be the same as heterosexual society. It is much less welcoming of trans people, people of color, and working class people...boo...
It doesn't matter if that is the intention. I happen to know that is the feeling of many people who identify as queer. How do we fix that? Do we need to?
I do know that if an event or space is gay vs queer, I go in with very different assumptions, emotions, and connections.
Were were a good sized group but we were able to do intros and talk about what "queer" means to us. (More on that below)
I went there because I don't think a queer community exists in Denver. There aren't any spaces here for lgbt people to talk focus on community issues. I wanted to know if I was wrong. from what we talked about, the answer is no, despite there being groups on ProgressNowAction and Connexion. We've got to make some changes as a community if we're going to be considered part of the progressive movement...let's use the resources we have...
We agreed on "queer" being a charged historical term that is often considered offensive. Some people would never consent to that label. Others, like me, prefer it.
For me, "Gay" and "Queer" are very different terms. Both are loaded with connotations, emotions, and history. They are not interchangeable (much like black/african american or latino/hispanic...) though most in the progressive movement have yet to hear those perspectives.
Anyway, queer is a much more inclusive term that means we are together and welcome different sexual and gender expressions. We are also wholly committed to social justice.
Gay, on the other hand, says assimilation to me. It says we want to be the same as heterosexual society. It is much less welcoming of trans people, people of color, and working class people...boo...
It doesn't matter if that is the intention. I happen to know that is the feeling of many people who identify as queer. How do we fix that? Do we need to?
I do know that if an event or space is gay vs queer, I go in with very different assumptions, emotions, and connections.
Over the past seven years, our collective basic rights, habeas corpus, the Fourth, The Fifth, The Sixth, the First, have all been gutted and decimated.
It might be a good idea to consider banding together to defend THESE things, you know, at some point.
Human beings are hard-wired to act in the best interests of their group, sometimes even to the detriment of their own personal best interest. One of the things I think is amazing and valuable about progressives is that, on the whole, they are able to see others who might be very different on the surface as nevertheless being 'of the family' and worth protecting and nurturing.
So I think seeking recognition of the interest of sub-groups IS actually a way of banding together to ALSO fight for the interests of humanity at large.
But hey, I often self-identify as an optimist....
The thing is every issue is something that everyone should focus on. Until people in the progressive movement realize that, I don't think we can claim all we want to about our collective values.
P.S.... I certainly don't believe everyone is out for their own. I don't want to make any assumptions about your identity but it's interesting that the only people I ever see accusing others of that are white and heterosexual. What about those people/orgs/issues would make marginalized peoples pull away. Maybe we should be examining that as a movement...
Even though from your quick overview I'm thinking I would have been a little out of my depth, the education value would have been well worth it.
Well, maybe next time!
Annoying? Yes. So please suggest to the website folks (see "Tips?" to the right) that they create a message board. For more info on a message board format, see my post "INCREDIBLE, AWESOME IDEA FOR A COMMUNITY BUILDING MESSAGE BOARD" -- If you can find it.