From: steven@cray.com (Steven Levine)
Subject: Lesbian and Gay Band at Inaugural, update
Organization: Cray Research, Inc.
Date: 21 Jan 93 20:06:06 CST

I've just returned from Washington D.C., from playing at the
Inaugural festivities with the Lesbian and Gay Bands
of America.  140 musicians from 17 different lesbian and
gay community bands, on four weeks notice, got themselves
to Washington to rehearse and play for this event.  We were
stationed along the side of the street, near the end of
the parade, where we entertained the crowds all day while
waiting for the parade to begin.  There have been some previous
posts to soc.motss about this (one rather lengthy one from me),
so this is just a quick update of how things looked from my perspective.

The Inaugural Ceremonies were broadcast along the parade route,
and it was eerie that the sun reached our side of the street at the very
moment that Clinton was sworn in.  Imagine listening to
this while standing with a crowd of lesbians and
gay men, many of whom are your closest friends.  Feelings
get amplified in a crowd, sometimes to the point of irrationality,
and most of us got very choked up.  It felt as if a yoke of
hatred was being lifted from our shoulders.

The Clintons and the Gores were near the head
of the Parade, and by the time Bill and Hillary and Al and
Tipper got to our station, they had left their cars and were walking
and waving.  When this Presidential group came by, we played a lush,
sweet arrangement of _America the Beautiful_.  (Carmen
Dragon's arrangement, for you bandies out there).  I know
I'm a little prejudiced in this regard, but we really
sounded wonderful for this.  Some elderly women I met on the metro
later that day turned out to have been sitting near my band,
and they were full of praise for us.  They, and most other
folks I talked with, were incredulous that we could sound
as we do when we do not regularly play together as a single
band.

There were spectators standing behind us (who, for the most
part, had no connection with us) who were moved to tears by
our musical background to the Presidential appearance.  I
know that sounds strange, but it is difficult to explain the
feelings that the Inaugural Week, and the Inauguration itself,
generated among the attendees.  

Bill Clinton was not on our side of the street, but
Hillary pointed out our banner to him (Lesbian and Gay
Bands of America) and he walked right over, waved, and mouthed
"thank you" (twice).  Al Gore was on our side of the street,
and when he read our banner he broke into a big grin
and gave us two thumbs up.

It's just a couple of politicians.  But the symbolism
of these gestures was huge.  If I think too hard about it,
I can get enraged that such a small, simple thing as a smile
and a thanks from the President for a lesbian and gay
group should be such a big deal.  But that doesn't mean that
it wasn't a big deal.  Does my stock go down in soc.motss
if I admit that I cried a little while playing the
piece?

Some have posted to soc.motss that they are disappointed that
our group got no coverage on the networks.  Hey, talk to my
mother about disappointment.  But we were mentioned a lot.
We were listed prominently in the big map published in
the Washington Post.  When we told spectators who we were,
nearly all of them said, "Oh, yes, I read about you."  It
was not the biggest publicity blitz the world has ever seen,
but we were decidedly not invisible.

I have been told that Tuesday night's CBS evening news included
some footage of our rehearsal.  Oh, and Rush Limbaugh
called us human trash, but that was a few weeks ago.

I'm disappointed, too, that more networks didn't cover our
presence -- it still seems a major, historical moment to me.
But the gay press has, for the most part, ignored us as
well (that's another story and another post).

The parade logistics were a nightmare for us.  The DC police
were refusing to cooperate with the Inaugural people, and
wouldn't let our buses to their appointed spots.  We were
delayed well over an hour because of this, and, ultimately,
had to carry all of our instruments and equipment
through several blocks of parade crowds.  We were told
to leave our cases on the buses (and our lunches), but
the buses disappeared.  In fact, a small suitcase of mine may still
be on one of those buses, as I had to leave for the airport
before we could find them.  (Fortunately the bulk of my
things and my airline ticket itself were elsewhere -- others
were not so lucky.)

I think back to the rhetoric of the Republican convention,
all that talk about "real Americans," all that explicit stuff
that said that we are not legitimate citizens of this
country.  I think about the times when it looked as if we
were doomed to a President of the party that had vowed
to maintain this policy.  And then I think about a
President and Vice-President who (at least by proxy) invited
the Lesbian and Gay Bands of America to a Presidential Inaugural.
That's my group, the group I have devoted a good part of the
last 8 years to.  I'm more pleased than I have a right to
be.

-Steven Levine
 steven@cray.com



  


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