20+ plus years after "Miss Marsha's murder Netflix makes a douc about her. This full of people I knew who later died in the AIDS pandemic. This was hard to watch. Seeing Marsha was harder still. I should be with them. The Angel of Death's wings have brushed me so many times me, and that character are on a first name basis. We should start exchanging holiday cards.
Still she's remembered.
I met Marsha in the early 1970's when I came out. I was part of an art collective as we then called them. She was there. She gifted me a Ink, and Pen set as to better draw the "Queer Angels" series I was working on. She was sweet funny brilliant brave all the things a revolutionary needed to be.
A revolutionary of the Heart.
The most dangerous kind. I could only watch a part of the douc about her. It was hard seeing so many friends that AIDs eventually took...harder to see "Miss Marsha" again. We remained friends till the time of her murder. A whole wonderful world has vanished, and seems mostly forgotten. Main streaming did that. To see the alleged community now you'd think it was always an oblivious white upper middle class club.
I remember the underlying bigotry of the times. A front a veneer of community as one, but white was still very much right. On trying to get into gay cafe's or bars I lose count on how many times I was turned away with the line, "Sorry private party tonight". I and my friends got the message.
It wasn't much better in the so-called "community' centers that came along later. In a way I'm glad Miss Marsha didn't stay to see what we devolved into. It would have broken her heart as it has mine, and the other survivors of a more hopeful if imperfect time.
7 comments:
I like these photos; there should be an exhibition of them and similar images of radical gaydom. And I’m glad they made the documentary: it’s good for young people especially to see what a *real* gay movement looks like.
"Sorry private party tonight".
I HATE that. Disgusting. And about STAR House - every time a gay youth shelter has been proposed for the Castro district, the Quisling queers have made damn sure it didn’t happen. Fucking Vichy fags, their posteriors twitching with eagerness to serve their straight masters, would rather see gay kids die homeless in the streets than offend hetero society. Fuck them!
Bring back the Revolution!
Z
If there ever is a Vengeful overturn of things as they are. Note I will not call it a revolution. I say Vengeance. A deliberate Terror. Such for they that obliviously tormented us with inventive glee.
If such a brutal, and rightfully cruel thing were to happen.
Then the Straight-gay Quislings will stand judged along with their masters for whom they wrought such suffering to please.
As you know in war judgement of your enemy is one thing. However judgement of those that betrayed their own is another, and far more blood splattered matter.
I am in my latter days no longer a peacenik. Rather a pragmatic though bitter judge. From me there would be 'no' mercy. Not an ounce not a drop not a breath of mercy for these that bowed, and took their orders from those that all along have wished us, and gave us nothing, but suffering, and death.
Indeed, I think rage is appropriate at this point. Revolution was for a time when democratic institutions still had some vitality, when positive change was still possible. But the establishment destroyed all that. It crushed the counterculture very systematically, with the abetment of the populace. Thus freedom died. Now the only possibility of revolt is not from the left - which would have been a positive change - but from the right, which will be very violent and destructive.
Still, it’s good to see such images of Marsha and other true-blue revolutionaries. Maybe people in other, faraway places will be inspired by them.
Z
...maybe.
Russia perhaps.
I was thinking maybe Brazil. Russia’s fucked, probably for centuries to come.
Z
I mean in the gay lib department. Economically, it has a future - far better than USA’s, in fact.
Z
I meant "Marsha" as a symbol of Queer Liberation to Russia. "Russia's fucked". I agree what with their church, and the people's love of strongman dictators,...freedom? ...for them maybe never.
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