Queer Revolutionaries ~ Gay Liberation Front
As we enter the month of June celebrating the 39th Anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion, we should take this time to reflect on the State of our Activism. The following is a video clip from the KQED documentary Outrage ‘69 (Series: A question of equality) that discusses a brief historical perspective of the Gay Liberation Front and the transformation to the beginnings of the reformist single issue, white male dominated, Gay Activist Alliance. Also linked below (2 pages) is the letter from Huey P. Newton to his Revolutionary Brothers and Sisters about the Women’s Liberation and Gay Liberation Movements. This letter is a remarkable evolution in stance of the Black Panther Party’s recognition of the need for a united front of oppresssed groups in forming a revolutionary movement and society!
2 comments
“Dirty little secret” indeed! What a pathetic genesis for the GAA. Who could be proud of a tradition like that? Who in their right mind could get behind it? I could never imagine actually having a conversation like this:
Me: I got my start in the Gay Activists Alliance.
You: Oh, and what’s that?
Me: That was a single-issue gay rights organization started in the early 70’s.
You: How did that get started?
Me: Well we were part of this big revolutionary group of queers and trannies. The group decided they were going to help the Black Panthers, so we left.
Talk about being on the wrong side of history.
And so began the one issue crap that we as multi-issue Queers fight against today. So began the leaving behind anyone who didn’t apsire to refromation of the state. Look around today we still see this type of movement everywhere. There is an essay in QWB archives called Wrong Road, Right Road that speaks about this.
Thanks Jeri for posting this clip. I feel a movie night and a discussion coming on.
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