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New Post 1/16/2009 1:55 PM
Unresolved
  SurferTom
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LGBT Rights - Mothers and Fathers of the movement 

Forgive me for assuming for a second, and I'm going to step out on a limb right now...

Why aren't our generation and younger generations fully aware of who the pillars are in the fight (struggle) for Gay Rights?  Do you feel apathy exists because our community aren't familiar with the struggle of yesteryear, that same struggle we're dealing with again and again?

Some excellent books have been written about these topics, as well as mainstream movies coming out about it, first and foremost, "Milk" starring Sean Penn as the late Harvey Milk of San Francisco.

WHAT can we do as a community to keep our community educated, to keep it from eroding any further with the loss of great leaders and programs?  Gay and Lesbian Centers aren't enough.  Pride Festivals aren't enough.  The Internet just isn't enough.  We need bodies.  New blood being taught by old blood.  We as a community can refresh ourselves on our histories.  We need to know exactly why we have the freedoms we currently have now, so that we don't lose them down the road.  Working together we can teach each other valuable lessons to pass along to future generations....keeping it real, keeping it fresh, keeping it in the family.

We need members of the community young and old to participate in a program that will be designed to educate us all about who, when, why, what, and where our histories happened.  Stonewall, Prop 22, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Defense of Marriage Act, etc.  Talk with us to get a program rolling, we can not only educate our own brothers and sisters, but educate the entire community. 

Where do we start?

 
New Post 2/15/2009 11:54 PM
  czechmex
1 posts
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Re: LGBT Rights - Mothers and Fathers of the movement 

I've been doing a lot of thinking on this subject ever since out meeting in early January. Today I went to a lecture on the Radical Faeries and heard Don Kilhefner talk about the need for "elders" in the gay community. Older gay men and women who can mentor the younger and connect us with our history. Sadly, so many of our older bretheren are as disconnected and apathetic and ignorant of their history as many of the younger generation. It's definitely going to fall into the hands of the X and Y generations.

We need to start by reaching out to those who are active in the community like Don who have already started mentoring projects. There are queer studies programs here in CA (Antioch right here in LA has one) that already have tremendous amounts of historical data as well as the One Archive in downtown LA which is the largest repository of LGBT literature and artifacts in the world. So there are a lot resources and framework out there with which we can started with it's just a question of tapping into it.

I'll talking with Don in the coming days to get his input in going about an educational/mentoring project. Anyone interested is more than welcome to be part of the process.

 
New Post 3/3/2009 7:32 AM
  MotherAngelica
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Re: LGBT Rights - Mothers and Fathers of the movement 

I've been wondering about how we can link our equality struggle with the struggle for equality by nuns in the Catholic Church.  And if we do achive Marriage Equality, will nuns be forced to get married?  These are my concerns.

 
New Post 3/25/2009 10:26 PM
  SurferTom
3 posts
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Re: LGBT Rights - Mothers and Fathers of the movement 

That is a good question Mother...  Just curious, have your rights been taken from you, have you been prevented from serving under your Lord?  Nobody has voted to keep your word of God out of your place of worship.  I am not a nun, but understand the Catholic faith.  When it's illegal for nuns to smack a ruler to the knuckles (yes, it stills happens to this day), and it's illegal to sing the vespers, then your concerns should be valid, because you've then experienced religious prosecution.  Gays and Lesbians have had a Civil Right taken away, one that I might add, was deemed constitutional by the judiciary branch of our state government.  Come on, how many loop holes do we need to fill here.  I would appreciate deeply if we kept on topic, before we start revolting and smacking the knuckles of those who have smacked ours.   And THESE are MY concerns!  Can I get an Amen?

 
New Post 9/28/2009 12:00 AM
  artsbaric@yahoo.com
1 posts
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Re: LGBT Rights - Mothers and Fathers of the movement 

It doesn't hurt to know our history.  I've been doing some "catch up" in the last couple of years.  My favorite book so far is "Virtual Equality" by Urvashi Vaid, about gay activism in the 90s. 

As for Mother Angelica, if nuns want the freedom to marry, why not?  But that is not the issue we are working on.  And of course no is going to force a nun to get married.   Our movement is about choices and freedoms.  It' not all about you, Mother Angelica!  Just kidding (sort of).

 
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