Boston LGBT communities come out against war & racism

A major lesbian, gay, bi and trans (LGBT) anti-war coalition—AskTellAct (www.asktellact.org)—dominated this year’s LGBT Pride march in Boston on June 9. It was the biggest anti-war contingent in Boston LGBT history—and the single biggest group in this year’s march.

Youth say no to war & racism in Boston June 9. WW photos: Liz Green

After weeks of struggle many different queer communities in Boston united and came out against war and racism on June 9 in a big way that suggests a major rebirth in 1970s style gay liberation political activism here.

The entire contingent was more than a block long with colorful pink banners and led by floats from Local 26 Hotel Workers Union and the Stonewall Warriors/International Action Center. Many groups were represented including the Rainbow Solidarity with the Cuban Five national campaign;QueerToday.com; Unite Here!, Hotel Workers; Who Are You Sleeping With Campaign; Stonewall Warriors/IAC; Boston Bio Lab Opposition; Boston May Day Coalition; Gay & Lesbian Labor Activist Network, Pride at Work Boston; SEIU 509 Lavender Caucus and SEIU Lavender Caucus East Coast Region; City Life/Vida Urbana; Women’s Fightback Network; Military Families Speak Out; and U.S. Labor Against the War.

The Stonewall Warriors Float was driven by USWA Local 8751 Boston School Bus Drivers Union Vice President Steve Gillis.

The AskTellAct Coalition came into being to oppose the official theme selected by this year’s Boston Pride Committee—Proud to Serve Our Nation—complete with Rainbow military dog tags logo. The coalition’s mostly young organizers led a broader campaign of community outrage against such a nationalistic pro-war theme in a time of war in Iraq and Afghanistan. The increasingly corporate-controlled Pride marches in Boston and elsewhere have alienated many who are disgusted with the drift towards mainstreaming LGBT politics funded by deep-pocket banks and pharmaceutical companies.

The anti-war protesters had also organized a counter-protest at the official Pride Committee rainbow flag raising at Boston City Hall on June 1, by simultaneously hoisting a “No Pride in Occupation” flag during the ceremony as an all-white delegation of five Boston City Councilors looked on.

Also, on the night after the Pride March, seven AskTellAct organizers crashed the big “military ball” at Club Avalon and unfurled two large banners on the dance floor which read: “650,000 Dead Iraqis, Not Sexy” and “3,500 Dead U.S. Soldiers, Still Not Sexy.” They were thrown out by management but were well-received by the audience.

A controversy had also erupted at an official June 5 Boston Pride event called Pride Idol when a performer on stage made many racist remarks insulting the Asian and African-American communities. A protest movement led by Massachusetts Asian and Pacific Islanders (MAP) and queertoday.com forced the Pride Committee to issue a formal apology the night before the march.

The AskTellAct Coalition plans to meet again to take up the question of continuing its work. For more information, e-mail [email protected] or call 617-522-6626.