Rain doesn't dampen interest
Boston event focuses on rainbow resistance
By Frank Neisser
Boston
The pouring rain didn't seem to dampen the
standing-room-only crowd of more than 150--some 80 percent
youths--who packed the Community Church of Boston on June 7 for
a meeting titled "Queer resistance: From Stonewall to
today."
The event featured Leslie Feinberg, an LGBT leader and a
managing editor of Workers World newspaper. The evening was
organized by Stonewall Warriors and ANSWER. It was co-chaired
by Stephanie Simard of Stonewall Warriors and Simmons College
Feminist Union, and Flynn of the Theatre Offensive.
The program was kicked off by a moving and spirited dance
tribute to the late Silvia Rivera, a 1969 trans Stonewall
combatant, by Heriberto Garcia/Miss Erica--an AIDS education
activist from Manchester, N.H.
Kyl Stone defined the personal meaning of pride for him as
political struggle. He outlined upcoming plans of Stonewall
Warriors and ANSWER for a "No pride in war and occupation"
contingent in Boston's upcoming Dyke March and Pride March.
Feinberg held the young crowd spellbound with an account
about "the year Pride came in December": the leading role of
lesbians and gays in the 1974 mobilization against racist
attacks on desegregation in Boston. She described how a
nine-woman squad of lesbians covered virtually all the racist
graffiti in South Boston during a 7-hour-long poster paste-up,
evading radio patrols of armed fascists in their neighborhood
stronghold.
Feinberg emphasized the need for the LGBT communities to
play an active role in struggles against racism and war. She
referred to historical examples such as the German Homosexual
Emancipation Movement, which was set back during World War I--a
struggle among the imperialist countries for colonies. She also
analyzed the young U.S. gay liberation movement that came up
during the Vietnam War and the domestic siege against national
liberation movements of the oppressed in this country.
Speaking as a communist, Feinberg pointed out that racism
and war are endemic to capitalism. She urged the crowd to stand
up to red-baiting, to develop an anti-capitalist liberation
current, and to open up discussion about socialism in the
movement. Her call received a standing ovation.
Feinberg also spoke at a Workers World forum the following
day entitled "Lavender and Red: LGBT struggle and socialism."
That forum, also very well attended, inspired many thoughtful
and probing questions.
Both events were brought to a spirited conclusion with
revolutionary songs sung by Puerto Rican independence activist
Marta Rodriguez.
Reprinted from the June 19, 2003, issue of
Workers World newspaper
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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