From: tal@plts.uucp (Tom Limoncelli)
Newsgroups: soc.motss,soc.bi
Subject: Re: NOTICE - Details of the March on Washington
Date: 12 Dec 1992 19:44:18 -0500
Organization: P.L.T.S., North Plainfield, NJ, USA
NNTP-Posting-Host: plts.uucp

The article in WCT and the points that Yorton brought up are going to
be brought up time and time again as the march approaches.  Why?
Because a cursory reading of the platform will bring many people to
these conclusions.

So, we must be prepared to answer these concerns.  They are valid
concerns, and I believe they can be addressed and explained to 99% of
the critics reactions.  We must be ready to answer these concerns when
asked by the gay, les, bi, supportive straight, and otherwise
communities.

[BUT FIRST, this tangent:  One group I'm involved with has numerous
lawyers in it.  It is funny that only the non-lawyers read a paragraph
and panic saying, "Could we be knocked down on xxx?"  The lawyers that
are involved, since it's their job to know such things, always are
ready to explain to the uninitiated precidents behind such clauses and
show how they aren't "trouble spots".  I have a lot of respect for
people that can keep all that knowledge in their heads.  I think we'll
see parallels in this situation.]


I guess the most important thing to remember is that nobody marches
because they believe in the entire platform.  You march because you
agree with one or more of parts of the platform.  Now re-read the
platform and see if it makes more sense to you.

Now I'd like to rattle off some explainations that I feel need to be
said.  They are my own words, I am not on the MOW93 committee though I
keep in close contact with my MOW rep.

1) "What's this reproductive freedom thing?"  Well, the legal basis for
Roe v. Wade is the 12th [?] amendment (right to privacy; specifically
between a doctor and a patient).  This same part of the constitution is
used as the legal basis for much anti-discrimination legislation.  You
take away Roe v. Wade, you weaken the 12th.  You weaken the 12th, you
make it difficult for sodomy to be legal.  Believe me, in judicial
circles this is very important.

2) "What's this racism stuff?"  Well, "nobody is free until we are all
free" is the basis here.  Leaving the ideology aside, we find that it
has been difficult for the medical research community to study AIDS in
the black community due to racism.  AIDS must be fought differently in
the black community because there are different social constructs.
AIDS must be fought differently in the latino community because it is
spreading differently.  You can't use a "white plan" to fight AIDS
everywhere.  AIDS is not the only place that this happens.  There are
many projects that are stalled for the same reason.

3) "What's all this trangendered stuff?"  Well, if open your history
book to June of 1969, you'll find the story of Stonewall, the beginning
of the modern gay rights movement.  You'll also find that Stonewall was
fought by transvestites.  Funny that.  Now do you think they should be
included?

4) "But what will the religious communities say?"  I'll be marching at
MOW with my minister.  In fact, I might be going down to the MOW in a
bus sponsored by my church, not my local gay organization (they got a
better rate).  OH, you mean the funnymentalists.  Are you implying that
if we took out references to transgendered people they'd suddenly jump
for joy and support our cause?

5) "Ok.  Let me re-phrase that.  Aren't we giving them an easy target
by including transgendered people?"  Oh, that's a horse of a different
color.  These are the people that have said that gay rights bills will
allow gay teachers to have anal sex in their classrooms in front of
their students.  I think no matter what we say they'll have some stupid
response that is full of lies.  Maybe you'd like to join the MOW media
committee which is working to get well-worded responses to the media,
hopefully minutes after the fundies say such things.  Forearmed is, uh,
well, forearmed.  Maybe you should read the current draft of the
National Gay and Lesbian Rights Bill (available in the QRD?).  It will
only get weakened on it's way to the White House.  So, read it and see
how mundane it is, you'll be surprized.

6) "But aren't the demands saying that drag queens should be able to
teach our children in drag?"  Well, my initial response is, "most drag
queens are so good that you might not notice!" Seriously, the law does
not strike down professional responsibilities such as proper dress
codes.  Whether or not drag is proper attire is another issue for
another day.  [related tangent: When "physical handicap" was added to
the wording of the national civil rights bill (the current one) people
said, "What if a blind person wanted to work as a traffic cop?"  Well,
such bills are worded in a way that specifies that such exceptions are
permitted.  The Equal Rights Admendment basically says that UNLESS A
JOB REQUIRES A CUNT OR A COCK, men and women of equal qualifications
must be given equal consideration for the job.   The National Gay and
Lesbian Rights Bill is phrased the same way; though I don't think it
says "Unless a job requires a man is proficient at giving head..."]

7) "I'm still not convinced.  I'm not going to MOW93."  Fine.  MOW87
was a turning point in my life.  It changed my life like no other event
ever has.  It empowered me.  It made me feel that I wasn't alone.  It
had a positive effect on all aspects of my life.  I'm not a
professional writer or poet, so I can't convey the emotions enough.  If
you don't go, I'm not going to kidnap you and force you.

8) "What do prisoner's rights have to do with gay/les/bi rights?"
(a) Psst: don't tell anyone but there are gay/les/bi prisoners. 
(b) Remember what I said about going to support the parts that you
like, not the whole platform?  (c) Why are you closing your mind?  I
read that part and said, gee, this is important to someone in the
gay/les/bi community.  I should research it. (I did)  Maybe I'll learn
something.  (I did)

9) "The media is going to be there.  Should we be careful to, well, you
know.  Make sure everyone is, uh, fully clothed?"  Should we require
everyone to wear business suits?  Seriously, while the demands imply
that the parade is 100% political, it is also for ourselves.  We are a
diverse group and we should show it.  It educates as many of "us" as it
does of "them".  The MOW87 didn't get any national bills passed but
everyone that walked away from it felt energized by it.  You'd be
amazed in talking to the current group of American activists how many
of them view MOW87 as the start of their career.  If MOW93 has twice as
many people attending, just imagine how better staffed our current
efforts would be if twice as many activists were "born" this April?
So, my reaction is simply that we must represent our entire community...
and make sure the media committee makes friends with the press and makes
sure they spotlight what we want. :-)

MOW93 -- Don't miss it!

Tom
P.S.  Please email me with suggestions for other questions.  I'm
thinking of turning this into a FAQ posting.

-- 
Tom Limoncelli -- tal@plts.uucp (home) -- tal@warren.mentorg.com (work)
Heros falling to the ground / like hell's magnet / pulls me down / on my knees
/ I try to please his eyes / his idol eyes. / Jerking motions won't revive him
/ mouth to mount resusitation / I just lay down beside him / and idolize.
Newsgroups: soc.motss