brenner@dec-aruba.UUCP (06/19/84)
Personal impressions of Boston Lesbian/Gay Pride March and Rally 1984: This was my third or fourth march, and my rough impression was that it had grown again in size somewhat. Since I'm having trouble remembering how many of these I've been to, impression of growth is also hazy; I'm no good at judging crowd size either, especially when I was spending so much time in happy sensory overload from looking at all of *us* in all our beauty and energy--but it was massive and impressive once again. And once again, it felt like it was equal numbers of women and men, a togetherness that joys my heart. Things I was glad to notice: new banners not seen in previous years, especially from neighborhood groups like Jamaica Plain and Dorchester. We are surfacing everywhere! Who knows--we may even have banners announcing South Boston and Roxbury next year--if you live there, go for it, people! There was a "gay, proud, and sober" banner, a nice big one; I am proud of my brothers and sisters who are recovering from alcoholism and addiction, and of their willingness to stand up and be seen. Other interesting presences: NOW Lesbian subgroup (a ground-breaker, considering NOW's rocky history with tolerance of its lesbian contingent). Bisexual women's banner (another groundbreaker--I have seen a lot of suspicion of bisexuals in the gay community, privately and in the letters page of GCN. I'd also seen in GCN some announcements of bi women getting together and saying NOW WAIT A MINUTE, and so was glad of their presence. Room for everyone, folks!) Harvard/Radcliffe gay/lesbian banner (with slogan "Veritas--it's true"! My only regrets are that I graduated before the group went public in a big way, and before I came out!) Rainbow Coalition--apparently aligned with Jesse Jackson, but representing a split in Mel King's Rainbow Coalition, according to one of their number. She said some of King's supporters are working through the Democratic party organization, but the group there at the march represented a movement to form an independent anti-fascist party drawing from the Rainbow's constituent groups. Saw no other national political party-type presence, although the gay political action groups were very visible. And the noble folks in the AIDS campaign. They stood at the entrance of Boston Common, each holding a sign with a simple day and date, leaving it unsaid that someone died on that date. I felt the Shade touch me as I passed, and it was only right; we sure need our celebrations, but we just as surely need to remember the (literally) deadly serious stuff. This year, the rally on Boston Common had access limited by fences set up, apparently, by the organizers; you were asked for a dollar contribution by a march organizer as you entered. As I had a dollar, I did not witness if people were nice to those of us who did not have a dollar. I surely hope that was the case. In this vocal community, I expect to hear loud protest if it were not. I had mixed feelings about the fences: not about the collection of donations, as I know what a cash-flow nightmare it is to do things like this. Rather, I remember how each year there'd be incidents with queer-bashers harrassing the fringes of the rally, and feel sorry that we need a fence. But then, I'm only assuming that was one of its purposes. Does anyone involved with the organizers have the scoop? I did not watch much of the rally itself; heard some wonderful music by Casselberry and Dupree (sp?) who were just as great as when I'd first heard them at the Michigan Women's Music Festival. They were promoting a concert they were doing that night for a women-of-color organization called WOZA. Ann McGuire (the new mayoral liason to the gay/lesbian community, for those of you not following Boston politics) was just starting to read from a fistful of notes as I was leaving. General impression: people having a good time enjoying a beloved tradition. Not much slogan-chanting, lots more cheering and dancing in the street. To me, this is fine; it felt like we're out of the chronic anger stage and into a more matter-of-fact "Why, of course we have the right to be here, and of course it's important!" Which, to my mind, is a hell of a lot harder attitude for homophobes to sneer at, not to mention a lot easier attitude for us to maintain for the long pull. Just so long as we remember the years of struggle for this event to become a tradition in the first place. Ellen Brenner ...decvax!decwrl!rhea!aruba!brenner