BUFFALO, N.Y.
Rainbow Peacekeepers defend gay bars
By Marge
Maloney and Leslie Feinberg
Buffalo, N.Y.
In anticipation of the arrival of the right-wing "Operation
Save America," the Gay and Lesbian Spring Action Committee of
Buffalo United for Choice '99 organized squads of Rainbow
Peacekeepers to protect the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans
communities.
Almost as soon as the reactionaries arrived, local lesbian
and gay bars and individual activists received threats. And
activists were concerned about the vulnerability of events
during the week held in connection with the national gathering
in Buffalo of the Imperial Court.
The Imperial Court is a fundraising organization of drag
queens and their supporters. Their celebrations around the
coronation of a new drag Empress coincided with the arrival of
the reactionary "Operation Save America."
All across the country there has been a rising wave of
anti-gay and anti-trans attacks. Local lesbian/gay/ bi/ trans
activists were determined to ensure the safety of the 300 drag
queens and their supporters as well as the patrons of all the
gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans gathering places in the
city.
Rainbow activists were well aware that at the same time as
one of the well-advertised Imperial Court events the OSA had
scheduled a national right-wing rally at the Christian
Center--a building adjacent to the drag show.
Rainbow activists were also concerned about right-wing
retaliation for their significant role in helping build BUC '99
and pro-choice defense.
Rather than relying on the police, the community fashioned
its tactical approach to bar defense after the effective BUC
'99 approach to clinic defense. They held training sessions in
how to anticipate and defuse dangerous situations. Some 100
people signed up for defense of the city's 11 gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgender clubs.
Throughout the week there was harassment of the bars and
activists. And as the weekend approached, and the OSA
mobilization was fizzling, lesbian/gay/bi/trans organizers were
justifiably concerned that reactionaries might lash out at
their communities.
The national right-wing leadership began to be visible at
the Buffalo clinics. Word spread that Randall Terry, leader of
the 1992 anti-abortion offensive in Buffalo, and the viciously
anti-gay bigot Fred Phelps were coming to town to prop up
"Operation Save America."
Phelps and his small band of zealots hold "celebrations" at
the funerals of gay men who have died as a result of AIDS.
Phelps got national media attention when he and his followers
traveled to Casper, Wyo., to "dance on the grave" of Matthew
Shepard--the young gay student murdered in Laramie.
In addition, the lesbian/gay/bi/trans clubs are most crowded
on the weekend. And the big events surrounding the Imperial
Court were all happening that weekend.
Buffalo United for Choice '99 leaders activated the
coalition phone tree and made hundreds of calls to the
pro-choice community to join the Rainbow Peacekeepers. Gay and
straight together defended the lesbian/gay/ bi/trans
communities.
Squads of Rainbow Peacekeepers were dispatched every night
of the entire week to bars and clubs--from opening to closing
time--to assure the safety of patrons.
How Peacekeepers squelched problems
There were potential problems throughout the weekend.
For example, a van and two carloads of people pulled up in
front of the coronation and began jeering at the Peacekeepers.
But when they saw the Peacekeepers surrounding their vehicles,
recording license plate numbers and their descriptions, they
left without incident.
Men who tried to enter area lesbian bars, acting
suspiciously, were surrounded--not only by the assigned
Peacekeepers--but by patrons who were ready to fully assist. In
each instance, the men left quickly.
The Peacekeepers were well organized. They took their job so
seriously that throughout the weekend the bigots were scared
away before they could do any real harm.
Conversations with Rainbow Peacekeepers clearly revealed
their resolve. Workers World newspaper spoke to several young
Peacekeepers outside Compton's After Dark--a lesbian bar.
Kristina Gibbs, who said she had faced anti-lesbian violence
in her own life, explained that she signed up for bar defense
because "gay people don't have many safe spaces. I will not
stand by while anyone tries to take that away from me."
Saying that the whole bar would turn out if there were any
trouble, Gibbs concluded, "I'd rather have an army of dykes
behind me than an army of cops."
Another Peacekeeper, Michael, said that as a heterosexual
man, he was out defending the gay bars because "you've got to
let people be who they are. I've got to be on the right
side."
The creation of the Rainbow Peacekeepers shows that the
movement did not rely on the cops to protect
lesbian/gay/bi/trans meeting spaces. Rather they put their
trust in each other.
The Rainbow Peacekeepers have created a blueprint for
community self-defense that will have lasting implications.
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
Email: ww@workers.org
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