DNC Protests and 3 Favorite Old Queers!

Since many seem to find my grumpiness towards the 60s white counter-culture a rejection of all white elders, I thought it might be a good idea to tell you about two of my favorite historical white people who were in Chicago during May of 68. Both exemplify some of my favorite trends in Gay White Culture--both have been formative in my own political development.



1) Jean Genet. This French homosexual was chosen by both the Palestinian Liberation Organization and the Black Panther Party to help document and advocate for their struggles. While in Chicago during the DNC in 1968 he admired the crotches of cops. As a person who admires Palestinian, black, and sexual liberation and simultaneously gets off on the crotches of cops, I must say, Genet is something of a hero. For those of you who haven't seen Fredrique Moffet's wonderful video Jean Genet in Chicago, you should check it out!

2) Alan Ginsberg. When I was in high school, I blared taped recordings of Ginsberg reading his poetry. As a young man, I particularly enjoyed his passages about his sexual love of young men. His homages to Whitman, his descriptions of drugs, sex, and open political discontent with the United States spoke loudly to my adolescent mind. Despite the repressive comments of rigid gay and Christian straight teachers who told me bisexuality didn't exist and that eventually all people must choose between two neatly defined genders, Ginsberg helped me get through their lies and eventually discover sexual liberation through his open discussions of sex.



In Denver 2008, a strong possibility exists that the protests at the Democratic National Convention will be filled with the sort of sex radicalism, lyricism, and power-fucking exemplified by Genet and Ginsberg. I also imagine that the protests can be rich in race, gender, ability, generational, and sexual analysis. I imagine that white queers in Denver can demonstrate solidarity with black and Palestinian liberation, the struggles of people of color around the world whose liberation movements inspired sexual liberation. I envision Denver's queer community connecting its own struggles against violence with the violence going on in Iraq, Palestine, and throughout the world.



In the memory of another 60s icon, Sylvia Rivera, who spent her life fighting for queer liberation and youth liberation in poor communities of color, I imagine the protests against the DNC can be joyful, fierce, intergenerational, and integrate the broad variety of issues and interests that impact oppressed communities worldwide.