fisher@smiley.DEC (Gerry --- Terminally Inane) (07/17/85)
Newsgroups: net.motss Path: decwrl!decvax!dec-rhea!dec-smiley!fisher Subject: RE: Ahhh, Steve Dyer [Ken Arndt, AIDS, political ...] Organization: DEC Engineering Network -- Nashua, NH >>... - that the homosexual movement is losing political power >>and in danger of going backwards - ... >As far as losing political power is concerned, this definitely seems to be >true at least in Boston, ... This is an oversimplification, and as far as Boston "the city" is concerned, not at all true. Let me give you folks the "State of Gay Boston" as I perceive it: 1) In the city of Boston, we elected our first openly gay city councilperson in 1983: David Scondras. He has successfully linked the gay community with the other communities in the "Rainbow Coalition": black groups, handicapped groups, neighborhood groups, et. al. Evidence of this new coalition is the passing of a broad based human rights ordinance which makes it possible for the city to make life difficult for those who discriminate against gays, blacks, women, the handicapped, etc. To pass a rights ordinance of this breadth during such conservative times is truly an outstanding accomplishment; there was only one dissenting vote on the council. As of this date, there are no serious challengers to Scondras' seat (Bostonians, correct me if I'm wrong). Interesting note: on election night, while on camera, David kissed his lover. To my knowledge, the only people who made a big deal out of this "bold gesture" were gay people: they weren't sure if this "statement" was "politically correct." 2) The Aids Action Committee of Boston recently received large grants from both the financially-strapped city and the financially- secure state. This was due to the hard work of the AAC director, Larry Kessler, and his volunteers who are learning to apply for grants instead of simply relying on dances and "passing the bucket" to raise funds. To win the support of Boston mayor Kevin Flynn, Kessler took him on a tour of Gay Boston that included visitations with AIDS patients. Since then, the mayor has become and *active* supporter of our community, to the dismay of his long-time, blue-blood supporters in Irish/Catholic South Boston. Interesting note: Gov. Dukakis is due to appear at an AAC Art Auction/Fundraiser this September. At first, I felt that we should ban him from the premises, but on second thought, I'd like to see him squirm in his own hypocrisy in front of hundreds of gays and lesbians; kill him with kindness so to speak! 3) A new weekly newspaper, Bay Windows, is now entering its second or third year (I can't remember). The impressive thing about Bay Windows is that it is the second "major" gay newspaper to come out of Boston (The Gay Community News being the first, and one of the nation's oldest), and that it has established itself so *quickly*. Interesting note: this paper sells in metal "boxes" on the street, similar to those that contain the Boston Globe, the New York Times, etc. What a bold move! To my knowledge, there has been minimal damage done to these boxes! Out of the closets and into the metal boxes! 4) I'm sure that I'm going to offend someone with this next statement; please forgive me! Boston is the home of national gay "spokespeople" Eric Rofes (author; nominated for chairperson of National Gay Task Force) and Michael Bronski (author: The Culture Clash). Surely, there are others; I just wanted to mention a few who are currently in the public eye. 5) Last year, a southern Massachusetts district re-elected congressperson Gerry Studds to another term in Congress. Despite his affair with a male congressional page, and despite the conservativism of his district, his effectiveness as a politician was more of an issue than his sexuality. 6) Congressperson Barney Frank, from Massachusetts, is leading the fight against the immigration laws that are so unfair to gays and lesbians. 7) At the '85 Gay Pride march, 27,000 people participated, shattering the record set in '83, 18,000. In closing, I'd like to echo a point made by Virginia Apuzzo (sp?), former director of the National Gay Task Force. She said that the most exciting things happening in "the movement" are not political in the strictest sense. She said that in her travels across the country, it was the growing vitality of the *local* organizations that amazed her. What Governor Dukakis did to us (when he removed those foster kids from the gay couple's home) hurt us politically, not only in Massachusetts, but across the country. But, don't waste your pity on us! In most ways, we are much stronger than we were last year and the foster care issue was a temporary stumble; we lost the last round but I think we are still winning the fight. The foster care issue is indicative of state-wide power we never *really* had in the first place. How could we have lost something we never really had! As Virginia Apuzzo said, the day we can transfer the local power and energy to strong state and national movements, will be the day we can start talking about "political power." There are many stumbling blocks to this goal, but in "local" Boston, I think we're doin' pretty good! Wishing you all the same, Gerry Fisher ...decvax!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-smiley!fisher