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following writing is from the first print issue of Free Voices.
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22 June 2005
Volume 2, Issue 9
Free Voices
eZine of the People
Shout the
Truth....
Escaping Queer Stereotyping
in Pride Celebrations
By Jessica Rechtschaffer
New York, NY
Happy Pride! This is the time of year we look back over the
past 30 years or so and say, "Wow, look how far we've come!"
In some ways, we *have* come a long way: Laws prohibiting housing
discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation here in New York
City have been passed and Gay life flourishes openly in major and
even minor cities. These are Good Things. But, over the decades,
radicals also look back and say, "Wow, look how far we have
fallen.." Continue
Reading
Posi-Core: Toward a Movement
for the Empowerment of HIV+ People
By Brandon Batzloff
Editor, Free Voices
Since the early 1990’s there has been a dramatic decline
in the social awareness of HIV. This has created a culture of fear,
in which HIV+ people are shunned and made to feel like the perpetrators
of some great crime. The subject of HIV has become so taboo that
to have any discussion outside of a clinical setting is viewed as
unseemly and distasteful. Such an environment is unhealthy for everyone
whether or not they are perceived as having HIV. Rather than waiting
for rescue by agencies whose funding restrains them from discussion
outside of the approved framework, those of us who carry the stigma
of a three letter acronym on our medical records must rise together.
We must refuse to be cast aside. Continue
Reading
Choosing Sides
By Tommi Avicolli Mecca
San Francisco, CA
When the news broke that Danny Wan, an openly gay City Councilmember
in Oakland, wanted to create a gay business improvement area in
his district 2, many progressive queers reacted negatively. The
part of District 2 targeted for the East Bay version of the Castro
is home to many working-class people of color, including a large
population of immigrants. What will happen to them if the business
district is established? Will they be forced out of their houses
to make way for gay establishments and the upscale folks who might
want to live in a gay neighborhood? Continue
Reading
Eliminating Queer People in the
United States
By Brandon Batzloff
Editor, Free Voices
Queer people in the United States have suffered violent oppression
for more than a century. It has only been in the past thirty years
that things began to change. Beginning with the explosion of the
Stonewall riots, the queer revolution has worked slowly and surely
toward some sense of acceptance. Capitalist appeasement, the offer
of scant rights within a corporate framework, undermined the greater
goal of legal equality. Under the Bush regime, even these small
advances have begun to disappear. Institutionalized hatred has the
high ground perhaps more than ever in the history of this country.
It is not enough that queer people are being ground under the boots
of this regime. It is their goal to eliminate us completely. Continue
Reading
HIV/AIDS: Science or Faith?
by Mark Gabrish Conlan
Zenger's Newsmagazine
San Diego, CA
I'm a 51-year old Queer-identified Gay man with a long-standing
involvement in radical-Left activism on both Queer and non-Queer
issues. For 11 years I've published a monthly magazine, "Zenger's,
that has included articles by myself and others on the resistance
to corporate-driven globalization, giant corporations' takeover
of the mainstream media, the use of a phony war on terrorism as
an excuse for the U.S. to pursue imperialism abroad and repression
at home, critiques of mainstream Gay leaders in general and their
prioritization of the same-sex marriage issue in particular, acknowledgments
of alternatives to monogamy and vanilla sexuality, and challenges
to the scientifically absurd belief that a single virus, commonly
known as HIV, could possibly cause all the various health phenomena
known collectively as AIDS. Continue
Reading
Marriage Is Still
the Opiate of the Queers
By LAGAI! Queer Insurrection
San Francisco, CA
A specter is haunting Amerikkka. The specter of gay marriage.
Every few years, it seems, we have a new wave of push and counterpush
on the marriage issue, and we are always in the same unpleasant
position. We demand all civil rights for queer people. But marriage
isn’t a civil right. It’s a civil wrong. Continue
Reading
Queers Demand Relocation of World
Pride Jerusalem
Love Without Borders = Love Without Checkpoints
New York, NY
Under the banner "Love without Borders=Love without Checkpoints,"
a press conference this afternoon kicked off the New York element
of an international queer demand to relocate World LGBTQ Pride out
of Jerusalem. Groups urged that Pride be held in a location where
all queers - including Palestinian, Arab and Muslim queers - are
safe from state violence. The event was attended by reps from No
Pride In Occupation, Queer People of Color Action, Irish Queers,
Jews Against the Occupation, Int'l Solidarity Movement (NYC), SUSTAIN-NYC
and Students for Justice in Palestine, in conjunction with Aswat
- Palestinian Lesbian Organization (Israel/Palestine.) Continue
Reading
Be at Born In Flames!
Born in Flames Conference
June 24-26
Portland, OR
Two years ago, a new surge of community organizing in Portland rose
to confront sexist behavior and issues surrounding sexual assault.
Meetings, debates, actions, grass roots organizing, and collectives
formed to create discussion about these sensitive topics, and support
survivors of sexual assault while holding perpetrators accountable.
The energy and work of dedicated people continues to create safer
spaces for survivors and communities to comfortably and safely attend
and participate in public events, shows and daily activities. Safer
spaces are vital to survivors' lives and healthy intentional communities.
Continue Reading
You Say You Want An Evolution
By Tom R.
San Francisco, CA
The same people who brought you it'“s Adam & Eve NOT
Adam & Steve” are coming to a school near you. A well-organized
movement, against the teaching of evolution in public schools, seeks
to narrow the separation between church and state and widen the
chasm between the U.S. and reality. Their techniques mirror the
ones used at both the local and national level in the recent election.
We live in an exciting time when queers are challenging notions
of gender and family. Just as science is unlocking the secrets to
the diversity of life, religion is closing young minds. Continue
Reading
Crying Art...
Artists and Performers Needed
for Sex Workers' Art Show Tour
Olympia, WA
We're getting an early start this time on organizing the 4th
annual Sex Workers' Art Show Tour, and we're looking for artists
and performers to contribute! Continue
Reading
Caballero
Darryl Clark
Review Writer, Free Voices
Rochester, NY
In a career that spanned thirty-five years, dancer Nicholas
Magallanes was known as one of the most respected, well-loved principals
of the New York City Ballet. Under the artistic directorship of
esteemed ballet master George Balanchine, Magallanes created many
of the best roles in the repertoire for a male dancer, including
the Poet in Night Shadow, The Poet/Rimbaud in Frederick Ashton's
Illuminations, the Second Intruder in Jerome Robbins' The Cage and
most importantly, the title role in Orpheus. He was revered as a
cavalier, partnering many of New York City Ballet's most stellar
danseuses such as Mary Ellen Moylan, Maria Tallchief, Tanaquil LeClercq,
Melissa Hayden, Diana Adams and Allegra Kent. Continue
Reading
Storytelling...
The Power, Price and Pain of
Boy Pussy: A Manifesto
By Chad Goller-Sojourner
Seattle, WA
People often wonder how I came up with the idea. I don’t
really know. It just kind of came to me, in two parts, the first
during a cab ride. I remember the driver was listening to NPR. I
like NPR: makes me feel connected—I'm not sure to what, but
connected nonetheless. I also love that monotone voice they all
seem to share. Continue
Reading
Goin' Home
By Chad Goller-Sojourner
Seattle, WA
As a child, I often envisioned my own funeral. I would be laid
out like some rich white woman, in a stunning casket, surrounded
by pleasing flowers and poisonous people. Stores would close in
my honor. Colored folks would stop their clocks, press their clothes
and prepare tons of food. White folks would dress in Chanel and
Ralph Lauren suits in preparation for the service. Flags would waver
at half-mast and buildings would be veiled in black bunting. Traffic
would be backed up for miles and miles, with highway emergency reader
boards flashing, “Funeral procession in progress: slow-moving
traffic next 3000 miles.” Continue
Reading
Last Word...
By Brandon Batzloff
Editor, Free Voices
Welcome to the first print issue of Free Voices. The writing
we received was exceptional, covering a variety of subjects. All
queer and very radical. Thank you to all who contributed to this
production. With efforts to solidify pride and alterna-pride events
at their climax, we are very appreciative that so many people were
willing to invest their remaining time and energy into Free Voices.
A special thanks goes to Vincent Fisher whose financial contribution
guaranteed that radical queer perspectives would be received at
pride celebrations everywhere. Continue
Reading
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