LGBT: Who's In? Who's Out? Who's Out of Touch?

Thanks to a Twitter heads up from Stand Up Southern Nevada, I heard about a couple of LGBT actions that are sadly more of the same, and I'd sure like to know more about both of them if you've got any information.

Can you believe it? There are still groups and political actions that are trying to divide LGBTQAAetc into smaller and smaller groups. How old-fashioned is that?

First off, there's something called In The Parade. I tried finding the name(s) of the people or organizations behind this brainstorm, but I haven't heard back from them yet. I'm being catty. In The Parade has a lovely premise: queer people have long been excluded as a contingent marching in the US Presidential Inaugural Parade. So, whoever's behind In The Parade is aiming at getting Lesbians and Gays represented. That's right. Lesbians and Gays. There are no bisexuals, trannies, genderqueers, SM players, queers or allies of any stripe. Just your garden variety lesbian woman and gay man. How 20th Century! Please, if you've got any more information on this bit of out of touch activism, please Twitter me or leave me a comment here. Thanks!

Secondly (and again, thanks to the vigilant watchdogs at Stand Up Southern Nevada), there's a protest day called A Day Without Gay. No, really. Everyone who's gay is supposed to stay home from work to show the world that they really won't get along without gays by their side. Unlike In The Parade, A Day Without Gay takes pains to explain that they don't really mean Gay only. In fact, if you dig down to the middle of their FAQ page, there's a defense of exclusionary political jargonizing:

It's terribly important to understand that on this one day, we're using "gay" as shorthand for the entire LGBT community strictly because of the universality of recognition for the movement both in American culture and worldwide as it's been covered in media ranging from Mexico, Canada, Austria, Germany, Italy, and beyond. You are SO SO SO included and necessary if you are bisexual, transgendered, intersexed, queer, or questioning...and straight allies are included as well.

Gee, I feel SO SO SO much better now that I know it's only on "this one day" that we're using gay to invisibilize everyone else whose identity depends on their desire. ARGHHHHHHHH! Right, so I'm cranky. I just do NOT want to start off the Age of Obama with more internal silencing of our own freakin' people.

So, to people who say they're speaking on behalf of LG, or LGBT (and letters as yet unmentionable), please consider this:   President-Elect Barack Hussein Obama was voted into office on the basis of building coalitions. It's more than a lesbian/gay coalition these days. Really. Like, didja know that one of the National Co-Chairs of Obama Pride is Marcia Botzer, an out and proud and accomplished transwoman. Please, GROW UP! The rest of us have. It's a new age of politics. Please, divide us no more. If you're going to do anything in the name of Obama, do it in the spirit he stands for.  

Okay, let's all go do important political action things and play nice with each other.

Kiss Kiss

Kate

Comments

[Tyler]

Oh no, I just realized I haven't seen a post from you by following your feed since you announced that you would start using feedburner! Any idea what I can do about that? I miss seeing your updates! :)

[Kate Bornstein]

Yikes, Tyler... I dunno. I've gotten great feedback from other folks that feedburner was working just fine. Maybe some setting in your RSS reader? Let me know, please.

[drakyn]

I'm queer and I'm transsexual.
Even if I had a job (and I could take a day off work) I wouldn't have done "day without a gay" because no matter how much they claim it includes me, I am not gay. Not only that, but they took the idea from the immigrant rights movement--where "Day Without a ..." actually makes sense. Queer and trans* folks are in every industry and there is no way enough of us could openly take a day off work for this to make any sort of difference.

I also think it's crap that cis* LGB folks want us to explain why we should be 'allowed' to be a part of "their" movement given that we started Stonewall; trans* folks were a vital part of feminist/queer/trans* movements until they (literally) threw us out.

[Patrique Vosges]

Dear Kate,
Now I'm really regretting missing the chance to meet you at the Atlanta Queer Literary Festival last fall. After reading several of your blog entries recently, especially this post, I hope to someday correct my past mistake.

I'm queer and consider myself a two spirit: completely content in my own body but exploring all aspects of masculinity and femininity.