106.-out-of-the-closet-a-collection-of-queer-moments.pdf
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a second collection
of radical queer moments...
the stories this far:

(Qn no particular order)



* these moments in queer history axe uot subjest to chronological order, The decision not
‘ arrango things in such an order is intentional. Chronology suggests things have come
and gone where we believe many things continue to be very muuch present and important.
Chromologisul order alsu often suggests progress, and I do not believe moving forward,
‘whon the world is so fucking backwards, fs » step in the right direotion...
Greetings!

thas beer neat to travel across the united siates and canada seeing the frst edition of this
ne pappirg up here and there, The montreal anarchist bodldaire, the wooden shoe in philly,
‘punk house bathrooms, queer collective Ebrares, college women and gender studies lunges.
thas always been fun to see where these liberated copy machine histeiographies end up...

Eutit makes me think more and more about the question, who is history for? Why go through
the trouble of meticulous rasearch,eding, formating ard printing? Wy does ths project feel
‘s9 important for me, and who dee ie going to care enough to read this? And even if someone
oes read his, what does it activate?

| see young (and old) gays all around me obsessirg over gay mariage as if ts going to cure
AIDS, stop ant-queer violence, provide all of us uninsured qusers with heath cere, end
reform racist immigration potces, Wher in realty & wll imply Consolate power, money nd
roperty amongst alteady privlaged geys, not to mention champion coupling over more
dynamic ways cf being in relaionships. | cant help but think thet if us younge” queers Fad
access to he radical histories we have all come fcr, we couid see other more brillant queer
futures than thase promised by my neoliberal models of incusivty. The same models that
push those of ts at the furthest margins, queers of color, crip quee’s, HIV+ queers, trans
fos, sex worke's, hemeless queers, working class queers, c., even further away...

Ferhaps if we put these memcris in action we can sea the struggle for meinsteam hetero-
normalcy as imerently violent and destrucive f our queer cultural heritage. if these
memories were put info action, perhaps queer leenage's would rasist the gay marriage boot
camps being rammec down their throats by the Nafonal Gay and -esbian Task Force and the
Fuman Rights Campaign and demand sater schools, safer housing and direct access to
culturally competent sex education and safer sex supplies instead. If these memories were in
action, maybe we could be looking to dismantle the military industrial complex, nct joining it. If
these memories were in action, maybe we would be making queer familes in infrite
combinations of lovers and friends. If these memories were put into action, perhaps we could
adequately chalenge Obama's new HIVIAIDS prevention campaign tiat is nearly devoid of
queer content even hough queer men (particularly of color) account for roughly 75% of new:
FIV infections in the united states, Can our radical queer histories really provide the
necessary ground ffom which to make our mest ratical dreams and desires a reality? I dn't
‘know. . But this is a place for ne to work from and hopefully others too.

And again, his ‘zine is rot an attempt at a complete and definitive radical queer history,
though itincldes & more pages cf infermaton than the last version. Such a goals nether
ppossitie ner desirable. Akzo, tris zine is not al original work, AA lot ofthe picoes are gathered
from here and there, plagiarized at will to shed some light on our histories that are ail to often
Hidden, distorted, erased, and lost. Replicate at wil, photocopy like orazy, and teach ezch
other. We've gct lots of leamiing to do!

‘Thanks again to fiends and family, nthe queerest sense ofthe word, for helping put ogether
‘pages, researching, editing anc printing this project! Out of the closets, and into the lraries!

with heart conrad!


NDTHE GAY
RIGHTS MOVEMENT
SEC a

lets deal with real issues!!!



Queer to the Left is a Chicago-based
multi-racial group of lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, and queer people committed to
working in coalition with queers and non-queers
to promote economic, gender, racial, and sexual
justice. Our current work focuses on building
affordable housing and promoting fair community
development that does not undermine important
community institutions; fighting to abolish the
death penalty; and fighting against US war
making.




Before the beginning of World War ll, homosexuals in Germany,
especially in Berlin, enjoyed more ‘reedom and acceptance than
anywhere else in the world, However, upon the rise of Adolf Hitler, gay
men and, to a lesser extent, lesbians, were two of several groups
targeted by the Nazi Party. Beginning in 1933, gay organizations were
banned, scholarly books about homosexuality, and sexuality in general,
were burned, and homosexuals within the Nazi Party itself were
murcered. The Gestapo compiled lists of homosexuals, and they were
compelled to sexually conform to the German norm. More than one
million homosexuals were targeted, and at least 100,000 were
imprisoned under the policy of “Extermination Through Work". German
soldiers also were known to use gay men for target practice, aiming
their weapons at the pink triangles their human targets were forced to
wear. Estimated deaths of gay men imprisoned in concentration camps
vary from 18,000 to 600,000. Homosexuals in camps were treated in an
unusually cruel manner by their captors, and were also persecuted by
their fellow inmates. This was a factor in the relatively high death rate
for homosexuals, compared to other "anti-social groups",



An account of a gay Holocaust sutvivcr, Pierre Seel, details Ife for gay
men during Nazi contrel, In his account he states that he participated
in his locat gay community in the town of Mulhouse. When the Nazis


gained power over the town tis name was on a list of local gay men
ordered to the police staton. He obayed the directive to protect his
family from any retaliaton. Upon arriving at tie police station he notes
that ne and other gay men were beaten. Some gay men who resisted
the SS had their fingernails pulled out. Others were raped with broken
rulers and had their bowels punctured, causing them to bleed profusely.
After his arrast he was sont to the concentration camp at Schirmeck.
There, S2el stated that during a moming roll-call, the Nazi commander
announced a public execution, A man was brought out, and Seel
recognized his face. It was the face of his eighteen-year-old lover from
Mulhouse, Seel then claims that the Nazi guards stripped the clothes of
his lover and placed a metal bucket over his head. Then the guards
released tained Gernian Shepherd dogs on him, which mauled him to
death.

After the war, the treatment of homosexuals in concentration camps
went unacknowledged by most countries, and most men were even re-
arrested and imprisoned based on evidence found during the Nazi years.
They were forced to serve out their sentence for being homosewals
under paragraph 175. It was net until the 1980s thet governments
acknowledged this episode, and not until 2002 that the German
government apclogized to the gay community. This period stil provokes
controversy, however; and in 2005, when the European Parliament
crafted @ resolution regarding the Holecaust, mention of the persecutior
of homosexuals was removed after debate.




Lash




The Lesbian Avengers was originally founded in
New York in 1992 by a group of lesbian activists from
ACT-UP. The purpose of the group is to identify and
promote lesbian issues and perspectives while
empowering lesbians to become experienced organizers
who can participate in political rebellion. The Avengers
are inclusive and work with and for women of all colors
and classes; bisexual, heterosexual, and queer women;
and trans and intersex folks. Emphasis is placed highly on
turning energy into action, and using that energy
constructively against —heterosexist, | homophobic,
heteronormative, classist, racist, sexist, and generally
oppressive forces and institutions in society and our own
community. There are about fifty-five Lesbian Avenger
chapters, five of them international. There is no national
organization or structure, and each chapter is locally
founded and operated. Each chapter of the Lesbian
Avengers works in collaboration on major events like the
annual Dyke March and larger, national protests, as well
as in coalition with other progressive groups in their
communities. Turn energy into action. "Be the bomb you
throw."


‘Queer Nation was founded in March 1990 in New York City, USA by activists from ACT-UP. The
four founders were outraged at the escalation of anti-gay and lesbian vidence on the sireets
‘and prejudce in the arts and media. One of the four was a survivor of anti-gay violence,

Gn March 20, 1990, sity queers gathered at the Gay, Bisexual and Iransgender
Community Center in New York's Greenvich Village to ercate a direct action organization, The
coal of the unnamed organization was the elmination of homophobia. and the increase of aay,
lesbian and bisexual visibility through a variety of tactics.

The crect-actien group's inzugural action took place at Flute's Bar, a straight
angout at the South Street Sea Port cn April 13, 1990. The goal: to make dear to patrons
trat queers wil ol be restricted to gay bars for socialzing and for public displays cf affection,
More visbity actions lke this one became known a "Gueer Nights Out.”



‘Although the name Queer Nation had been used casually since the group's inception,
i: was officially appraved atthe group's general meeting on May 17, 1990,

Queer Nation's popular slogan "We're here, We're queer, Get used to it’ was
‘adopted and used by many in the LGET community, Aside from its miltant protest style, as
‘opposed to the more reformist gay rights organitations such as the Hunan Fights Campaign
«r the Log Cabin Republicans, Queer Nacion was most effecve and powertl inthe early 1990s
in the USA, and used direct action to fight for gay rights. They also worked with AIDS
rgarization ACT-UF as well as WHAM! and were the birthplace of Queer Action Figures. Ever
‘hougi never offcialy disvanded, most sources agree -hat Queer Nation no longer exists.

Queer Nation is credited with starting the process of redaimng the word queer,
which previously, was only used in a pejorative sense and Queer Nation's use of it in ther
ame and slogen was at first considered shocking,

‘Queer Nation is also linked to several controversial incidents in which closeted public
figures were cuted as gay or lesbizn. Queer Nation's reasoning was that ending this
"hypocrisy’ benefited gays asa grcup because it et them know there actualy were gay people
In infisentll places, and promoted gay rights by forcing te outed and the organizations they
belonged :0 take a stance on issies concerning gays. Many in the gay conmurity did net
agree with Queer Nation's radical tactics and favored a mor2 assimilaionit course of action.


Queer Liberation Army



‘The Queer Liberation Army formed as a spontaneous reaction to the growing politcal and
cultura backlash agzinst queers in America. We are here to liberate this courtry's queers
from a far right bent on destroying them, a Democratic party witing to blame them, and a
mainstream gaylesbian movement wiling to give up on basic human rights forall queers in
exchange for martiage rights for some. We wil actieve our aims through the creative use of
mrass media, demonstrations, non-violent drect zctions, the speaking of truth, the use of
humor in a bleak world, the pursut of pleasures as multiple as we are, and a fabulously
queer stylein the face of ugliness. We alo seek to strengthen and buld aliances with other
rrovements for social justice that are sympathetic to our mission.

The current threat to queers doesn't come just from right wing evangeicds and neo-
conservative poiticians, however. The Democratic Party has alsc dedared open season on
queers. Immediately folloning the latest Democratic pary electoral debacle, Dianne Feinstein
(0, CA) said thet same sex marriage “gives |conservatives} a position to rally around. The
whole issue has been too much, too fas, too soon. People aren't ready for it.” John Kery's
cr-cheir of gay and lesbian outreach, Jeff Trammel, concluded that “(the big lesson... (s)
figuring out how to talk about issues in a way where you're not ‘or or against gay ceople.”
The real lesson of this election is that there's ittle point in queers supporting pditical parties
that have absolutely no ethical commitment to providing human rights to all American
clizens. Tre Dems have no vision of social justice in this country or for the word. Trey
support the war, the military economy and the current systems of class, race, and
gende’/sex hierarchies, To paraphrase Gore Vida, the US, continues to 1ave a one party
sjstem with two right wings. The Queer Literation Army asks all queers to stop blindly
following the Democrats (roughly 75% af gay anc lesbian voters supported John Kerry — a
candidate who has done little to extend the rights of quee’s in this counsry ~ in the most
recent presidemial eection) and te demand real representation by parties and candidates
that support tuman rights for all, aot ust the rights of wealthy, whte, married,
heterosenuals.



Tre Queer Liberation Army has alse formed as an alternative to mainstream gay and lesbian
organizations which are increasingly conservative in their approach, By focusing almost
exclusively on the issue of same sex marriage, mainst’eam gayllesbian organizations have
ignored the needs o* most quzers and worse, supported the current sexigencer apartheid
by agreeing that the only vavable relationships are those that mimic the heterosexial
marriage modes. The fact trat a number of rrainsiream gay/lestian organizations are
carrertly courting the likes of ex-Now Jersey governor lames McGreevey — who throughout
his career sought to beneit from the trappings of heterasenial marriage while doing ittle for


the queer community - as a potental public ace is bur one recent example of how misguided
the acions of many mainstrean gay organizaionshave become.
The Queer Liberation Army hereby decares war on the fer right, the Republican Party, the
Democratic Party, malnstieam gay and lesbian organizations ad anyone ese wito blocs ful
quali for queers.

‘These are our demands:
We demand that rights and privileges be detached from marital status, and
that family relationships be defined by the pecple in them, not the state.
Feople's rights in relation to health insurance, social security benefits,
hospital visitation, inheritance, child custody, adoption, and other issues
should not be determined by their willingness or ability to participate in
fundamentally unequal system such 2s marriage.
We demand that all children be allowed to learn about their bodies and
sexual health unfettered by political and religious doctrines that turn
pleasure into shame and well-being into disease.
We demand that the medical and psychiatric professions stop ‘enforcing
sex/gender apartheid through the creation of false diseases and the denial
‘of medical care.

We demand an end to anti-queer violence and intimidation.

We demand full equality in all spheres of American life,
‘The Queer Liberation Army Is fighting to unite all of us into an army of
queers—a mass of people willing to live- not die or kill- so that human
diversity can prosper.

The U.S. Amy wants you for their unjust war in Iraq, but why be cannon
fodder when you can join the Queer Liberation Army and fight for peace,
justice, truth, and pleasure,




‘Timeline...

10 Nov 1978 - Dan White resigns his elected position on San Francisco's
Board of Supervisors.

27 Nov 1978 - Dan White entered San Francisco City Hall through a
basement window, went upstairs, and shot and killed Mayor George
‘Moscone and Gay Activist/Supervisor Harvey Mills

May 1979 - Psychiatrist Martin Blinder testified in court that White had
been depressed, which led to esting junk food: Twinkies and Cocs-Cela.
‘This further deepened White's depression, since he was an ex-athlete and
Iuew that the food was not good for him. This was evidence of his
depzession that prompted his murder spree. This celebsated diagnosis
hecame known es the "Twinkie defense"

White's depression was used to establish grounds for a successful
dimisished capacity ples; aud therefore White was judged incapable of
the premeditation required for 2 murder conviction

21 May 1979 - Dan White is convicted of the lesser charge of voluntary
manslaughter and is sentenced to seven years and eight months in prison.
‘The queer community revolts..

4 personal account:

‘As evening approached, a crowd gathered at Castro and Marker. We were
angry. We wanted the world to know we were angry. We took over
Castro Strcct and stood around with no idea of what we should do.

Eventually the crowd moved into tae intersection of Castto and Market.


Traffic came to a standstill. There were only a few policemen present and
they did nothing more than observe the scene. As time passed, the crowd
grew larger, eventuilly exceeding 1000. TV News trucks arrived. More
police attived. Amid the shouting and whistle blowing, there were skouts
from the crowd. "CITY HALL" became the rallying cry.

‘We began moving down Market toward City Hall, getting louder, growing
larger, picking up momentum. ‘The crowé had become huge by the time
wwe reached the Civic Center. There wes nothing to do, no one addressed
the group, no one gave any inst-uctions. But something had to happen. We
were much too angry to jus: end the demoastration. Some people near the
entrance began pulling the wrought iron grillwork off the doors and using
the pieces to break the glass. Oue persun was seen entering through a
broken basement window. They started a fire using papers on the desk in
the room. City Hall was trashed. Several hundzed police in riot gear stood
in formation at the comer, watching the activity, but they were not allowed
to respond, a wise decision on the part of the administration. For some
scason they had parked police cars at the other end of the block. No one
really wanted to desteoy City Hall. They just wanted to make a statement
However, when the Activis's went after the cars, cheers of approval came
from the crowd. A dozen police cars were torched. Car horns and sirens
from. the burning cats added a chaotic note to the smoky night ait.



Seemingly appessed, some began heading back to the Castro. Others feared
the inevitable retaliation and hurried off into the night. At some point after
the crowd thinned, the police were unleashed, and heads began to roll.
Battles erupted everywhere and many fought back valiantly. Tree limbs and
parking meters and picces of asphalt were used ss weapons. ‘These were
queers fighting for what they believed in. Police suffered ‘neatly as many
casualties as the resistance. The people were eventually driven from the
Civic Center and the slower ones suffered the wrath of the overzealous
officers. They pushed people down to Market Stree: where many stors
windows had aleady been broken.

Castro stzeet was fall of people relating stories, debating the issues, licxing
wounds. After Midnight dozens of police arrived. They had been
humiliated earlier and were here tu even the score. They gathesed at Market
and started moving the crowd down toward 18th. We were in no mood to
comply. Many of them weren't weating badges or name tags!


‘They came 20 our neighborhood to get even. They formed a line and
moved us half way down the block. It became evident to all, even to
those who had stayed in the Castro and away from the riot; WE WERE
AT WAR WITH THE POLICE!



People came from every dicection to join the resistance and we
moved tae invading forces tight back up to the corner. They appeared to
be Ieaving but they somehow regrouped at the corner of 18th and Castro,
We stood and watched as they mazched into the Blephant Walk,
smashing windows, doors, tables, chairs, bottles, and peoples' heads.
Some victims needed to be hospitalized. These police wete vicious. They
‘were out for blood.

The rioting police cost the City a fortune in Lawsuits and Investigations.
‘The FBI even looked in:o it We had no reason to apologize for our


actioa. We had been pushed beyond our ability to swallow any mote
hatred and we did what we had to do.

6 Jan 1984 Den White is paroled from Soledad Prison after serving 5
years and 1 moath in prison. White's release was catried out with great
sectecy. The aftemoon before his scheduleé release, he was transferred 200
miles south to a facility in the Tehachapi Mountains north of Los Angeles.
The nest morning, he wes kanded over to the Los Angeles Putvle
Depettment that had arranged an apartment for him somewhere in LA.

Several protests were held in San Francisco the day of Dan White's release
from Scledad Prison including a rally at Union Square where some
speakers called for the public w punish White, while others expressed thie
Lope for his dea:h.

Jan 1985 - Mfter serving his yeas of parole time in Los Angeles, White was
allowed to return to San Kmancisco. Mzyor Dizne Feinstein: publicly asked
him aot to return to The City, bat he did.

21 Oct 1985 ~ With a garden hose hooked up to the exhaust pipe of his
1970 Buick Le Sabre, Dan White commits suicide in his garage.




Les panthéres

MOUVEMENT QUEER RADICAL)
montreal




Destination centre d'achat, clinique de beauté? A
Vinverse des milliers de gais et lesbiennes qui marchent
gentiment dans la direction indiquée par les leaders, les
Panthéres roses et toujours plus de monde ont décidé
désormais de désobéir & ca. Au capitalisme rose. A I'hétéro-
société. Aux régles des genres biraires. A toutes les lois
ennemies de la liberté, de I'égalité. Et aux ennemies d'une
Terre verte, sans frontigre étatique et sans frontiére
sexuelle,

sot

Heading for the shepping mall, or the salon? The Pink
Panthers and, as time progresses, many others, have decided
to march in the opposite direction from the thousands of
gays and lesbians who are cpathetically following the
leaders. The Pink Panthers have decided to not obey.
Disobey pink capitalism, Hetero-society, Binary gender rules.
To disobey all laws that are enemies to liberty and equality.
To disobey the enemies of a green earth, and to defy
borders and sexual frontiers.


Naughty North is 1 movement not a market! We are committed to
celebrating our queorest selves while resisting the cevastating violznce
inherent M the consumer driven assimfationist gaystream, Wo will defend
ourselves against the brusal silence of isolation thru a diverse and
dedicated network of ation oriented friends and lovers. We will not deny
cur anger or fail to recognize the links betwoon queer struggle and
challenging power. Naughty Norta is a defiant orgasm in the face of
oppression: all are weloome to get off with us! ~ 2007

NAUGHTY NORTH!

Points of Unity

~ We will build friendships and alliances across urban and raral boundaries,
celebrating our diversity and micro-cultures while breaking dowa isolation.
‘Through campouts, work parties, daace partice, sleepovers, farm days, etc,
‘we will create and share a positive queer experience.

= We will not oaly critique targets like corporations, but we will also
expose inconsistencies within our social groups and so-called “communities”,
in order to grow more toward ouw radical ideals. Whenever possible, we will
use theatrics, humor and satire to communicate and to critique ourselves.

= Fighting racism, slassism, misogyny, heterosexism, transphobia, ableism,
capitalist and all oiler hierarchies is a central parpose of Naughty North,
not an add-on. We will work to create a space where radical queers can.
challenge these hierarchies and build alliances with other oppressed peoples
willing to struggle with us.

= We are committed to inter-generstional struggle. Radical queer history
has heen systematically distorted, eresed and disappeared by the AIDS
genocide and fear, We will re-learn and teach these histories to inform our
present and pusk the boundaries of a new queer activism.

= We will confont notions of shame from both the Christin Right anc the
mainstream gay and lesbian community.

- Assimilation is death through erasure. We oppose all forms of
assimilation, especially gay marriage and inclusion in the military industrial
complex.

- Our (direct) actions will not only be fierce and critical, but fun and
empowering.

- We will create a radical presence at queer events and a queer presence at
radical evente.



httpu/thenaughtynorth. blogspot.com


Prisoner Correspondence Project

The Prisoner Correspondence Project is a collectively-run
initiative based out of Montreal, Quebec. It coordinates a direct-
correspondence program for gay, lesbian, transsexual,
transgender, gendervariant, two-spirit, intersex, bisexual and
queer inmates in Canada and the United States, linking these
inmates with people a part of these same communities outside
of prison. In addition, it coordinates a resource library of
information regarding harm reduction practice (safer sex, safer
crug-use, clean needle care), HIV and HEPC prevention,
homophobia, iransphobia, coming out, etc. The project also
aims to reinstate prisoner justice and prisoner solidarity as a
priority within queer movements on the outside through events
like film screenings, workshops, and panel discussions which
touch on the broader issues relating to criminalization and
incarceration of queers and transfolk.

The Prisoner Correspondence Project is a working group of the
Quebec Public Interest Research Group (QPIRG) at Concordia
University.


Queers Undermining Israeli Terrorism (Quit!
was fourded in early 2001 by members o° LAGAFQueer Insurrection and
individuals formerly associated with DAGGER (Dykes & Gay Guys Emergency
Response), which was active during the first Gulf War.(itaon needed]
According to the Anti-Defamation League. the grcup 'supsorts divestment, the
right of return for all Palestinians, immediate Israeli withdrawal from Palestnian
territories and describes Zionism as racism."



* February, 2002-QUIT! participated in the National Student Conference of the
Palestine Solidarity Movernent on the Berkeley campus of the University of California,

* June, 2002-QUIT! “inilated” a * ‘No pride in occupation’ anti-war contingent that
marched in solidaity with the Palestinian people" in San Francisco's Lestian, Gay,
Bisexsal and Transgender Pride March.

* August, 2002-25 members of the group reportedly “took over’ @ Starbucks in
Berkeley in protest of the fim's stores in Israel and CEO Howard Shultz support for
Israel

* June, 2008-The screening of an Israeli fim, Yossi & Jagger, at San Francisco's
San Francisco Intemational Lesbian and Gay Film Festval is dsrupted by QUIT!
activists. The protest “outraged” Yossi Amrani, the Israeli Consul General and caused a
rninot loce! media fap.

* June, 2003-QUIT! begins its campaign against the cosmetic company Estée
Lauder outside of a Macys deparmert store in San Francisco, The company is
‘targeted because of Ronald Lauder, the company's founder, suppott for lsrecl and his
service as president of the Jewish Netional Fund.




Why do we call ourselves the RHA?

“Beware the Radical Homosexual Agenda!” That's the Right Wing’s
rallying cry. It’s meant to conjure a legion of pick-chd, poly-loving, left-
of left queers who are threatening to invade Small Town America. Well,
that description sounds sort of nice to us, too, actually. Except for the
invasion part—'cause we're also ant-imperialist. And besides, we've been
in those small towns and everywhere else all along.

‘Who is the RHA?

‘We're queer folks of diverse ages and backgrounds who are based in
the New York City metropolitan area, We're gendes-queers and run-of
the mill homosexuals, bisexuals and trausexuals.

What is the RHA all about?

Ifyoulisten to the Humaa Rights Campaign or the liberal peliticians,
you'd think all queers wanted to sign their lite away to Uncle Sam or ger
“married” and have kids, But queer libezation reaches way beyond these
isenes.

‘The queer liberation groups of the 60s and 70s had muck broader
social visions. They were anti-war, they fought for economic rights and
agitaced for free speech and a greater vision of democracy.

In the downsizing of our dreams that occurred during the last several
cecades, mainstream LGBTQ groups have forgotten these connections.
‘They'd rather feed queer soldiers to Bush’s war than fight the military-
iadusteial complex. They forget that, even more thaa marrige, the
ragjotity of queers ako need affordable housing and health care. And this
is convenient for these groups and politicians, since they're underweiteea
by coxporations whose very existences are threatened by steps towards
economic equality and a more egalitarian democracy.


Gran Fury

was an activist/artist collective that came together in 1988. The group
was formed as a spin-off from the original group ACT UP. They took the
name Gran Fury as it was the specific Plymouth model use¢ by the New
York Police

anger toward}

unofficial pro}

strategies as

lack of action

as an affinity

group within 4 on, "LET THE

RECORD SI g together as

ti sion of the

Silence=Dea Fidy existiny CE=DEATH,

however, und les of "AIDS
criminals” -
misrepreser

itme. Ronald
this years of

as well as to
lean needles.

collaboration

1990's the gral surrounding
the AIDS issue, and had staring using more text which had made t
hard for the group to shock and relay their messages as effectively as
before. In 1984, after the death of member Mark Simpson, the group
disbanded,




Bash Back! formed in 2007 with a small group of Radical Transfok, Queers
ard Alles organizing against the Republican National Convention. In April of
2008 over 100 radical Trans/Queer/Allied folk met in Chicago to formulate
plans against the RNC/DNC and to stert a long lasting network. Anyone who
‘agrees with the Points of Unity can starl a Bash Back! Chapter.

In November of 2008 Bash Back! folks infiltrated the Mount Hope Church, an.
arfi-queer mega church in Lansing Michigan, disrupting services with
screaming, banner dropping, gitter throwing, fire alarm pulling and of course,
‘smooching. Soon after the action the croup rocoived tons of press calling out
‘the Mount Hope Church on their participation in ex-gay ministries, "hell
houses”, end other anti-queer coings.

POINTS OF UNITY

Members of Bash Back! must agree to:

1. Fight for liberation. Nothing more, nothing less. State reccgnition in the form
cof oppressive institutions such as marriage and militarism are not steps toward
literafion but rather towards heteronormative assimilation.

2. A rejection of Capitalism, Imperialisrr, and all forms of State power.

3. Actively oppose oppression both in and ou: of the “movement.” All
oppressive beavior is not to be tolerated,

4. Respect a diversity of tactics in the struggle for liberation. Do not solely
condemn an action on the grounds that the State deeme i o be illegal


Active in Hew York City fom 1991 to 1995, fierce pussy was composed of a fuid and often-
shit cadre of dykes. Adamantly low-tech, fast and ow-budget, fierce pussy relied on
‘nodest resources: old typewriters, found photographs, their own baby pictures, and whatever
‘naterial they could get donated. Much of tha work was preduced using the equipment at thelr
day jobs. Emerging during a deczde steeped in the AIDS ciss, acivsm, and queer identity
aoltcs, fierce pussy brought lesbian identity dlcedtly out into the streets in a manner
characterized by the urgency of those yzars.

' FIERCE PUSSY COLLECTIVE



‘ierce pussy wheatpasted their posters and printed and cistrbuted stickers and t-shirts
‘throughout the city, Ther other projecs induded redesigning the bathroom at the Gey and
Lesbian Canter, a areeting card campaign directed against the polties of Cerdinal O'Conner
and Senator D'Amato, and 2 moving bilbcard/iruck. For Gay Pride 1991, “erce pussy re-
named streets along the parade route after prominent lesbian heroines using stencled and
spray painted street signs.


LAGAI - Queer Insurrection

hetps//aww.lagal-erg
Who We Are

We are a small independent radical queer adivst grcup. We started in 1983 as
Lesbians and Gays Against Intervention and rave been through a bunch of name
changes, but kept our acronym, even though no one can figure out what it stands for
any more, We are so grassroots, you almast can't find the root. We get no grants
(well, ckay, we got two small grants from Resist about five years ago), have no staf,
don't lobby, don’t try to control the gay movement, We work on local Sen
Franciscoftiay Area issues and national and international issues. We are the proud
publishers of UlraViolet, an every-other-monthly free newspaper.

What We Believe

‘We are antiauthoritarian, anti-miltarist, pro-feminist and anti-racist, and we demand
that queer issues never 2e put on the back burner, We will accept ncthing less then
ful civil rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people, but we believe
ssome rights are not worth fighting for. We do not think cueers or straights should be
in the military oa society ke the u.s.. or probably any government, and we fes! that
the queer liberation postion is to cppose marriage as the central institution of
patriarchy, not to try to get married oursehes.

‘What We Do

We do poster campaigns and small drect actions, and particioate in larger
demonstrations and organizing coalitions. We are active in protests against war, the
death penalty and police brutality, in the Justice In Palestine Coalition and the
struggle to save social securi:y and workers’ richts.


One of our main goals
now is to destroy the
Human Rights
Campaign, because
T'm tired of sitting on
the back of the
bumper. It’s not even
the back of the bus
anymore — it's the
back of the bumper,
The bitch on wheels
is back.

- Sylvia Rivera



Street Transgender Action
Revolutionaries (STAR)

STAR was founded in New York
City in 1970 by Sylvia Rivera and
Marsha P. Johnson. Syivia is a
well known Stonewall veteran,
and was ono of tho strost queens
who helped. escalate Stonewall
from a routine police bust of a
queer bar to a revolutionary call
fro greater LGBT activism and
political organization. At the
time Sylvia wes 8 20 yeardld
street queen and Marsha was late 20s. STAR originally stood for Street
Transvestite Action Revolutionaries, written $..AR. The idea wes to
sreate a living spase for young queens on the street. They got an old
abandoned house on the lower Bast sido from the mafia and set up 8.7.A.R.
House, which survived about 2 years. All the members lives collectively,
with Syivia and Marsha hustling to get money for food so that the younger
girls would notihave to go out on ths street.


Capttallsm get you down?
Gender binaries make your teeth hurt?
Join Queer Fist!

Queer Fist, an anti-assimilationlst, anti-capttallst,
anti-authoritarian street action group, came together to
provide direct action and a radical queer and traws-
identified voice at the Republican National Convention
(RNC) protests. We continue using creative methods to
fight the right-wing agenda.





The Combahee River Collective

Black Feminist Organizing in the 70's and 80's

We are a collective of Black feminists who have been
meeting together since 1974...involved in the process of defining
and clarifying our politics, while...doing political work within our
own group and in coalition with other progressive organizations
and movements... [W]e see Black feminism as the logical political
movement to combat the manifold and simultaneous oppressions
that all women of color face.





Our polities evolve from a healthy love for ourselves, our
sisters and our community which allows us to continue our
struggle and work. This focusing upon our own oppression is
embodied in the concept of identity politics... [T]be most
profound and potentially most radical politics come directly out of
our own identity...[t]o be recognized as human, levelly human, is

nough.... Although we are feminists and Lesbians, we feel
solidarity with progressive Black men and do not advocate the
fractionalization that white women who ere separatists demand...
Westruggle logether with Black men against racism, while we also
struggle with Black men about sexism.... We are socialists because
we believe that work must be organized for the collective benefit
of those who do the work and create the products, and not for the
profit of the bosses... We need to articulate the real class situation
of persons...for whom racial and sexual oppression are significant
determinants in their working/economic lives... [OJur Black
women's style of talking/testifying in Black language about what
we have experienced has a resonance that is both cultural and
political... No one before has ever examined the multilayered
lexture of Black women's lives... "Smart-ugly” crystallized the way
in which most of us had been forced to develop our intellects at
great cost to our "social" lives.... We have a great deal of criticism
and loathing for what men have been socialized to be in this
society...[b]ut we do not have the misguided notion that it is their
maleness, per se--i.e,, their biclogical maleness--that makes them
what they are,








STONEWALL RIOTS

On Saturday morning, June 28, 1969, not lang after 1:20
am., police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in
Greenwich Village. A
number of factors
differentiated the raid
that took place on
June 28 from other
such raids on the
Stonewall Inn. In
general, the sixth
precinct tipped off
the management of
the Stonewall — Inn
prior to a raid. In
addition, raids were
generally carried out
early enough in the
night to allow
business to return to
normal for the peak
hours of the night. At
approximately 1:20
AM, much later than
the usual raid, eight
officers from the first
precinct, of which only one was in uniform, entered the
bar. Most of the patrons were able to escape being
arrested as the only people arrested “would be those
without IDs, those dressed in the clothes of the opposite
gender, and some or all of the employees”.



Details about how the riot started vary from story to story.
According to one account, a transgendered woman named
Sylvia Rivera threw a bottle at a police officer after being
prodded by his nightstick. Another account states that a
lesbian, being brought to a patrol car through the crowd


put up a struggle that encouraged the crowd to do the
same. Whatever the case may be, mélée broke out across
the crowd—which quickly overtook the police. Stunned, the
police retreated into the bar. Heterosexual folk singer Dave
van Ronk, who was walking through the area, was grabbed
by the police, pulled into the bar, and beaten. The crowd’s
attacks were unrelenting. Some tried to light the bar on fire.
Others used a parking meter as a battering ram to force the
police officers out. Word quickly spread of the riot and
many residents, as well as patrons of nearby bars, rushed
to the scene.

Throughout the night the police singled out many
effeminate men and often beat them. On the first night
alone 13 people were arrested and four police officers, as
well as an undetermined number of protesters, were
injured. It is known, however, that at least two rioters were
severely beaten by the police. Bottles and stones were
thrown by protesters who chanted “Gay Power!” The crowd,
estimated at over 2000, fought with over 400. police
officers.

The police sent additional forces in the form of the Tactical
Patrol Force, a riot-control squad originally trained to
counter anti-Vietnam War protesters. The tactical patrol
force arrived to disperse the crowd. However, they failed to
break up the crowd, who sprayed them with rocks and
other projectiles.

Eventually the scene quieted, but the crowd returned again
the next night. While less violent than the first night, the
crowd had the same energy as it had on the previous night.
‘Skirmishes between the rioters and the police ensued until
approximately 4:00 AM. The third day of rioting fell five
days after the raid on the Stonewall Inn. On that
Wednesday, 1,000 people congregated at the bar and again
caused extensive property damage.


Gay Dhame

@ virus in the éystom

(GAY SHAME is a Virus in the Systema. We are committed to a queet
extavaganza that brings ditect action to astounding levels of theatricality. We
wil not be satisfied with a commercialized gay identity that denies the inttinsic
links between queer struggle and challerging power. We seek nothing less than
a new queer activism that foregrcunds race, class, gender and sexuality, 10
counter the self serving “values” of gay coneumerism and the increasingly
hypocritical left. We are dedicated to fighticg the rabid assimilationist monster



~ We vill express outrage through symbolic <ctions in order to inspire ourselves
to confront power dynamics and disseminate information.
We will cot only esstique targess like corporations, but we will also expose
inconsistencies within cur soeia. groups and so-called “communities”, in order
to grow more toward ous radical ideals. Whenever possible, we will use hunor
and satire (0 get our points actoss and tc critique ourselves.

= We will call out the greed and consumerism inherent in mainstream gay
identity. We ace dedicated to fighting capitalism snd it’s zesulting inequalities.
= We will go beyond theorizing to make our acticns not only fan but also
expowering.

~ Our goals to serve us a catalyst w encoutage people to take disect actior and
civil dsobedience farther.

~ Out goal is to create a home for the culturally homeless,

- Assimilation is erasure. We resist assimilation in all its forms.
- Pighting raciaen, clasciom, mizogyay, heterosexism, transphobla, ableism and
al other hierarchies is the central purpose of GAY SHAME, not an add-on. We
wil create a space whete radical queers can challenge these hierarchies




The George Jackson Brigade

The George Jackson Brigade formed in the
crucible of prisoners’ rights organizing which came out
of the civil fuass anti-war
protests . ii a xistence, it
claimed ie
one pri






across the country: soc
allied with college
continue their class, kin privilege. In the
case of the Brigade,, center stage, queers
challenged

the FBI’s infiltration of women’s land and the lesbian
community (in pursuit of Katherine Powers and Susan
Saxe) and political abuse of the grand jury process.

“Settle your quarrels, come together, understand the reality of our
situation, understand that fascism is already here, that people ara
already dying who could be saved, that generations more will die or live
poor butchered half-lives if you fail to act.” - George Jackson
queercore/homocore

Queercore is a cultural and social moverrent that began in the mid 1980's as an
cofishoot of punk. It is distinguished by a discontent with society in general and a
complete dsavowal of the mains:ream gay and lesbiar community and what those
involved believe to be its oppressive agenca. Queercore expresses itself in DIY (Do It
Yeursalf siyle through zines, music, writing, art and film

1.0.5, created by GB, Jones and Bruce LaBruce, is widely acknowledged as being the
zine which launched the movement. At frst the acitors of J.D.s had chosen the
appellation "homoccre" to describe the moverrent aut replaced the word homo with
‘queer fo etter reflect the diversity of the scene as well as to disassociate
themselves completely from the confines of gay and lesbian orthedoxy. The first
issue was released fy 1985, wih a menifesto entitled “Don't Be Gay" published in the
fanzine Maximum RocknRollfolloving soon after; inspiring, among many cther zines,
Holy Titclamps, edited by Larry-bob, Homocore by Tom Jennings and Deke Ninilson,
Donna Dresch’s Chainsaw, and Outpunk by Matt Wobensmith, ‘hese last two later
{functioning as music labels. These zines, and the movement, are characte‘sed by an
alternative to the selF-imposed grettolzation cf orthodox gays and lesbians; sexual
and gender diversity in oppositien to the segregation practiced by the mainstream
gey community; a cissatisfaction with a consumerist culture, oroposing a DIY ethos in
its place in order to create a culture of its own; and opposition to oppressive
religious tenets and poltical repression,



Influences vary for each musician, zine editor and filmmaker involved, but it is
doubtful that cueercore would have come into existence without the atmosphere
surrounding the early punk years. Performess at that tine either conspicuously
phyed with conceptions of gender, such as Wayre County (naw Jayne County) of
‘Wayne County & the Electric Chairs, and Phranc from the aptly named Nervous
Gende: or, like Pete Shelley of Buzzcocks, Darby Crash of The Germs, members of
The Screamers, The Leather Nun, Malarial and other bands, were not irterested in
hiding their sexuality.

It was the confrontational attitude and shock tactics of the punk and industrial
scenes that Queercore employed, rather than activism, or poliics, or the mainstream
approval and major label deals that gay and lesbian musicians of that tine’courted,
since those involved in the queercore scene weren't seeking the acceptance of
society, be it homosexual or heterosexual, but “ather to condemn it.


As with punk quzercore culture existed outside of the mainstream so zines were
crucial to its development, Hundreds of zines formed an intercontinental networ« that
snabled queescore to spread and alow those in smaller, more repressive ccmmunities
to peftilpate. The DIY attitude of punk was integral to queercore as well In the 1990s,
a5 the availabilty of the intemet increased, many qucercore zines, such as Noise
Queen could be found orline as well as in print. The queercare zine label Xercx
Revdlutiovaries run by Hank Revolt, was available online and distribured zines from
2000 to 2005. Cueercore forums and chatrooms, such as QueerPurks started up.
The Queer Zine Archive Project is an internet database of scanned queer zines that
continues to grow.




Al these developments alowed queercore to become a self-sustaining and sel
determined subculture, expressing itself through a variety of mediums independent
from the straight end gay establishment,


GAY LIBERATION FRONT

‘The Gay Liberation Front (GLE) was the name of a
number of Gay Liberation groups, the first of which was
formed in New York City in 1989, immodiatoly after tho
Stonewall riots


Activists taking part in the GLF were mainly interested in
sexual liberation for all people, and were also intent on transforming
other aspects of society such as the nuclear family. Many supporters
of the GLP held the view Unat change would not come about unless
current social institutions wore dismantled and xebuilt without
defined sexual roles and definitions of homosexuality. Prominent.
members of the GLF also opposed and addressed other social
inequalities between the years of 1969 to 1972 such as militarism,
racism, and sexism. Due to internal conflicts of interest withir. the
organization, the GLF officially ended irs operations in 1972.

The Gay Liberation Front was initially formed by thirty-
seven men and women in light of the Stonewall Riots. The group’s
first demonstration in response to the riots was the organization of a
candlelight march, in which they demanded an end to homosexual
pereceution. Tho GLF wo not only dedicated to gay rights, but also
to the broader social ideals which dominated the 1960's, including
peace, equality and economic justice. Between 1969 and 1972, the
GLI was an influential force, and ultimately consisted of more chan
80 independent chapters across ‘he Uniled States and abroad,

The GLF’s primary mandate was to oppose and fight against
those institutions in socicty which had historically oppressed and
demeaned gay individuals. Ideally, the GLF wanted to ensure that
gay individuals were treated with increased equality. In order to do
this, the GLF participated in and organized marches,
demonstrations, speeches, coufroutativas, meetings, books and films
in order to raise awareness of their eause and their struggle.

In 1970, the GLF represented itself as a movement “against
conformity to arbitrary standards, for en open society in which 2ach
of us may choose his own way of life.” The GLF, in addition to
focusing on gay rights, essentially criticized American values and
society in general, and became involved with other causes and social
movements, including the anti-war and civil rights movements, and
the fight to end racism and bigotry. Ideally, the GLF wanted to
establish an open society, in which sll individuals could express
themselves freely, and it especially fought against machismo (the
notion that masculinity is superior, and thus has a right to
dominate), which the GL¥ felt oppressed all individuals in society ~
doth straight and gay.




AGT UP, AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power, is a diverse, non-
‘partisan group of individual, united in anger and committed ta direct action
toend the AIDS crisis. We meet with government officals. we distribute the
latest medical information, we protest and demonstrate. We are not silent.

‘We are loud as we confront those who stand in the way of the fight
against AIDS. We've told Anthony Fauci, Directory of the National
Institute of Allergies and Infectious Disease (NIADID) and the person
responsible for overseeing the government’s AIDS clinical trials that mary
of these tials are unethical, fraudulent and misdircued. ‘We told Mario
Cuomo that that inadequate funding for AIDS services is killing us and that
itis unacceptable to balance the state budget with peaple’s lives. We took
on the pharmaceutical industry for attempting to make profits atthe expense
of the lives of people with AIDS. We made AIDS an issue in 1992
Presidential elections and held President Clinton responsible for the
promise he made as a candidate, We are committed to protecting the lives
and well-being of people liviug with AIDS.

‘We challenge anyone who, by their actions or inaction, hinders the fight
against AIDS. This includes:

st Anyone responsible for inadequate funding for AIDS rescarch,
healthcare or housing for people with AIDS

x Anyone who blocks the dissemination of life-saving information
about safer sex, clean needles, and other AIDS prevention methods.

Ye Anyone who encourages discrimination against people who are
living with ALDS.




Compton's Cafeteria Riot

In the streets of the Tenderloin (S.F.), at Turk and Taylor on a
hot August night in 1966, Gays rose up angry at the constant police
naressment of the drag-queens by police. It had to be the first ever
recorded violence by Gays against the police anywhere. For on that
evening when the SFPD police wagon drove up to make their usual
sweeps of the streets, Gays this time did not go willingly. It began
when the police came into a cafeteria, still Iocated there at Turk and
Taylor, Compton's, todo their usual job of hassling the drag-qucens,
hair faites, and hustlers sitting at the table. This was with the
permission of management, of course, but when the police grabbed
the arm of one of the transvestites, he threw his cup of coffve in the
cops face and with that cup, saucers and trays began flying around
the place directed at the police,

The police retreated outside until reinforcements arrived. The
‘Compton's management ordered the place closed and with that the
Gays began breaking ont every window in the place. As they ran
outside to escape the breaking glass, the police tried to grab them
and throw them into the police wagon, but they found this no easy
task because the Gays began hitting them below the belt and drag
queens smashing them in the face with their extremely heavy purses.
A police car had every window broken, a newspaper shack outside
the cafeteria was burned to the ground and general havoe was raised
that night in the Tenderloin, The next night drag queens, hair
fairies, conservative gays, and hustlers joined in a picket of the
cafeteria which would not allow drags back in again. It ended with
the newly installed plate glass windows being smashed up!
Out of Control
Lesbian Committee to Support Women Political Prisoners

Out of Control is a small, self-supporting committee of ten
women in the San Francisco Bay Area, We formed in 1986 to
organize resistance to “he Lexington Control Unit for women.
This way a subterranean, high-seouily prison in Kentucky that
used sensory deprivation, mind control methods, and small
group isolation in an attempt to "break the spirit" of the wornen
prisoners: Out of Control joined with a national grass roots
campaign of activists, churches, and various other human rights
organizations to expose the brutality of the Lexington Control
Unit. A lawsuit was brought against the federal prison by the
ACLU. After 18 months the prison that housed two women
political prisoners, one Puerto Rican Prisoner of War, and two
sccial prisoners was closed.

Out of Control has been working on behalf of the 25 women
political prisoners in the U.S. since that time. These women (five
are out lesbians) are in prison for various reasons from
opposing policies of the U.S. government through revolutionary
activities, participating in the Puerto Rican Independence
movement, Black liberation, American Indian Movement, to
anti-nuclear activities, etc. We work in the San Francisco Bay
Area Lesbian and Gay Communities, nationally, and
internationally to educate people about political prisoners in the
US. and about the horrendous conditions in US. prisons in
general. We have done support work for people with AIDS in
prison, and for ballered women convicted of killing their
abusers.


Vanguard - togan in 1965 with the Glide Memorial Church, «
radical congregation of the United Methodist Church. The church started open
houses for young street hustlers and drag queens where the kids were able to
form a social/ political group. Over the next five years, the group held dances,
drag balls and coffechouses, published a newsletter, and organized two direct
action protests (Compton Cafetcria Picket and Street Sweep). In the early
197¢s, Vanguaré and the Street Orphans, a group of young lesbians, combined
to form the San Francisco Gay Liberation Frent.



Lavender Panthers

The Lavender Panthers were a fierce team of gay vigilantes who took to the
streets of San Francisco to protect other queers agairst homophobic attacks in
she 1975, Formed by the Rev. Ray, a Pentecostal Evangelist and well known
queer who himself was once beaten severely outside his gay mission center, the
Helping Hands Gay Community Se:vice Center. The Panthers patrolled the
streets nightly with chains, billy clubs, whisues and cans of red spray paint (@
snbstitnt= for forbidden Mace). Their purpose, as the Rev. Ray candidly put it,
is to strike terror in the hearts of ‘all -hose young punks who have been beating
up my faggots.”

Besides the goal of halting hemophobic attacks, the Lavender Panthers went to
refute the popular notion that all queers are “sissies, cowards and pansies" who
will do nothing wher. attacked. All of the Panthers know judo, karate, Kung Fa
or plain old alley fighting. For gays without defensive skills, the Panthers held
training sessions with instruction ftom a judo brown belt and a karate expert.