Flaming Mad- from Genre Magazine

I took the liberty to re-publish this great article written by Lady Bunny, an entertainer, in Genre Magazine( June 2006.) I think she has a point.

“… what we gays can learn from this whole immigration debacle: Organization. No matter what side of the debate you fall on, one thing is clear about those immigrants: When they felt their rights about to be irreversibly trounced upon by our government, they knew how to get together and protest. Spanish-speaking radio disc jockeys from L.A. to Texas mobilized enormous crowds to take to the streets to proclaim their rights. I wonder why that didn’t occur to gays when the Federal Government passed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) or when George W. Bush tried to amend the Constitution—a political act so rare that it should have sparked something—to ensure that gays would never be granted the equal right of marriage. Or, how about when good ol’ Bush actually did remove language from a long-established law, which stated that sexual orientation could not be used as a disqualifying factor in determining someone’s eligibility for a security clearance? Did you even know about that?

Can you even name a gay radio jock or TV personality, who could rouse you to do anything but dance or decorate your apartment? Like immigrants, the rights of gays are under attack—and many of us are full-born United States citizens, not illegal immigrants! Where’s our righteous, defiant spirit in the face of our attackers? Where’s our fire? I realize there are many within our community who devote their entire careers to the movement. But, let’s face it: Most gay men really do have the shallow mentality of 16-year-old schoolgirls. Will historians look back at the gay community of the early 21st century and conclude that we cared more about having a good time than doing away with our status as second-class citizens?

But, activism isn’t only dead for gays. Most wimpy Democrats are guilty as charged, when Republicans accuse them of standing for nothing. And Al Sharpton read the African-American community to filth when Rosa Parks died, claiming that all Ms. Parks had was her voice and she used it—unlike a lot of today’s famous black youth, who are best known for using their voices to insult each other in rhyme. The whole country has been dangerously dumbed down by entertainment propaganda, which masquerades as news—so much so that we aren’t even aware of the real challenges that face us, much less organized enough to combat them. And, pay mind, are our enemies ever super-organized! They meet every Sunday morning at churches, as we lay crashed out, nursing our hangovers.

So, what? Is this just another rant about how fickle the gay community is? Maybe so. But, should we just be content that we now have a gay and lesbian cable TV channel, or that we can legally marry in just 1 of our 50 states? No doubt, these things are indeed big steps in the struggle for gay and lesbian civil rights. By all means, this Gay Pride, go out there and be proud of those accomplishments. But, try to keep in mind the spontaneous strength and community that a massive group of illegal immigrants has shown us this year. And when the confetti and used condoms are swept away from the party floor, why not take some of that Gay Pride, and heat it up until it turns into some good, ol’ fashioned Gay Rage? After all, we’re not called flamers for nothing.

Lady Bunny is an actress, singer, songwriter, comedienne, DJ, ho and an illegal immigrant from the Kingdom of Narnia. Check her out at ladybunny.net”

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