It was Probably not “Made in the U.S.A.” Anyway
When I was having my radical growing pains as a child in high school, I made it a point to cover every centimeter of my backpack with political pins. My very first one read: “homophobia is a social disease.” I thought it was poignant and hilarious. I had message t-shirts and would write messages on my hands when inspired. The bathroom walls were my canvas for rattling off all the things I thought were screwy with the world.
I’ve since changed in certain ways. It’s not mellowing out so much as learning about what kinds of things are worth my energy. I try to stay out of energy wasters like infighting or preaching at people. Why bother?
Maybe it’s age. Maybe it’s recognizing the nuances to rhetoric, whether it be visual, verbal, written, or an action. I don’t have all the answers, and I’m fine with that. I’m fine with not driving myself crazy waiting for everyone else to get on board with the idea of revolution. I want it to happen. I work on that, piece by piece, but I’m not stupid either.
Over the years I’ve taken most of the pins off of my bags. I’ve replaced a reliance on symbolism with daily action.
So, I’m listening to this shitstorm over Obama’s refusal to wear an American flag pin and just hoping that the loudest, shrillest voices I’m hearing aren’t reflecting the perspective of mainstream society. Just as taking off my rainbow ring necklace does not remove my identity or politics, taking off a flag lapel pin does not strip Obama of any patriotism that he may have. This whole matter has been written off by some as shallow, but I don’t think it is in the least. Maybe Americans need to have a conversation about how what you own does not determine who you are. Maybe the pretense of patriotism can segue into a chat on rampant consumerism that convinces people that voting happens with our dollars, and not in a voting booth.
1 comment
Though sometime symbolism is right on. Case in point. When QWB goes to any immigrant rights march we always bring the rainbow flag. We want any immigrant who is not out to know that we are there too. We also bring it to say that us Queers aren’t only interested in the marriage issue. But that all issues are ours. That goes for any other type of demo or event.
It is strange now how people have changed. When I was young and just out in 1967 we looked for every symbol we could find to help us declare ourselves. I think this dropping has only been in this decade. Now it is very rare to see any one wearing any type of LGBT symbol. Perhaps we have become blenders. Now that is a good word to use. Most days I have a problem with blending.
One other thing about “infighting”. Our movement has been infighting for years ever since the GAA broke away from the GLF and all this blending began. Guess because I was fighting then about what seems to be the same issue, Trans rights and a multi-issue movement, I can’t stop at this late date. I am trying hard to learn how as you say, to work on revolution piece by piece every day. We won’t see it in our life but can stay on the road and not be sidetracked. Though not being sidetracked is hard to do when we are so few up against all this mainstreaming and all that money.
It is sad to note that even as we blend we have not after all these years, really learned our own LGBT civic lesson. I don’t think that many people in the US (including most of us) even realize what we have brought to this land and how valuable a people we are.
Thanks a bunch Kerri for posting with QWB. We look forward to more of your posts. As always I enjoy reading what you write over at Undercurrent.
P.S. I love bathroom art.
Leave a Comment