On the Significance of Homophobic Liberals

Longtime readers of this blog will know that I have no love for liberalism. It is cancerous phlegm paving the road to a social-fascist dictatorship; whether it is raising money for Republican offices after an arson attack or defending the Alt-Right’s “freedom” of speech, modern liberalism as embodied by the Democratic Party is an embarrassing fiasco rooted in the neoliberal far-right.

Today, however, I thought I would mix it up a tad and speak on a different disturbing trend in liberalism. Namely, its homophobia.

Ever since Donald Trump was elected Shitbag-in-Chief of the American Empire, the best that American liberals have been able to do to “Resist” Trump is mire themselves in unmaintainable conspiracy theories concerning Russian “involvement”. This is the electoral fraud nonsense, of Russia “hacking” the election and now seemingly becoming the boogeyman in every cyber-mishap the world over (also, who can forget that time George Tekai blamed Russian hackers for his sexual assault allegations gaining prominence?).

Alongside the hacking narrative, there has been its social manifestation. Because the U.S has a long history of antagonizing and interfering in Russian affairs, Russian politics has relied on Putin’s strong-arm as a means of stabilization; lapdogs of U.S imperialism, then, have been keen to pick up every pretense of awful that happens in Russia.

This is where Putin enters the picture. And, more specifically, his homophobia.

In a move which should surprise no one, imperial liberals have reversed Putin’s homophobia. They have latched on to a different conspiracy theory– that of the so-called “Gay genocide” in Chechnya– and warped it to indicate an alleged sexual repression of his own sexuality; this is where all those ‘cross-dressing Putin’ memes originate where Putin is seen in drag often in front of a rainbow (despite the fact that cross-dressing and sexuality are two distinct social expressions).

Come Donald Trump’s election, this propaganda campaign morphed into the homophobic string of memes we see today. Whether it is Trump cuddling with Putin, Trump being impregnated by Putin, or any number of other sordid scenarios, we see a clear line of evolution from the early days of “ha, look at Trump in drag!” to today’s “ha, I find the idea of two men in a relationship hilarious– Trump is so gay!”. This is how all those terrible memes came about.

Obviously, this is deeply problematic.

Although the imperial liberal establishment which backed Clinton’s bid is keeping their mouth shut at the obviously homophobic nature of these memes, I have noticed that, for the most part, imperial neoliberals such as Perez Hilton have also refrained from sharing such images, giving at least a tacit nod of disapproval at the meme’s nature while continuing to back their own warmongering Piece-of-Shit candidate.

What this hints at is a disapproval from even the imperial liberal establishment, however many shrills will try and argue otherwise. I will accept that there will be traitors to the struggle that subsume their hatred of Trump over their self-worth; this always happens and is why things such as Gay Republicans and Milo Yannopapupoopface exists. Such positions, however, are false and indicative of a mindset that, at best, is merely ignorant and under a false class consciousness. At worst, it is indicative of a neo-fascist.

But, let’s step back for a moment.

We have talked about the political nature of these images. Sometimes, though, in order to really understand why something is a negative when it seems in service of a higher cause, we need to understand why, at the social level, these memes are counter-productive.

Take a moment and look through these images. Though there are worse memes, more homophobic ones, just take a look of the spread and muse.

 

 

Have you gotten a good look at them? Good.

What did you see? Some parts are obvious, I bet: you saw misogynistic language, an endorsement of Russian interference, and some crude sexual references. But, didn’t you see something deeper? I bet you did.

I bet you saw why these images are homophobic, I bet that you realized that these images are homophobic because they set up Trump’s relation to world leaders in a submissive state. I bet you saw how they combine Trump’s alleged lack of “smarts” with him being taken advantage of sexually by more cunning leaders. I bet you perceived that in these instances, all of the memes have been relating the negativity of Trump’s actions as homosexual sex acts; that Trump’s supposed anti-Militarism– a major promise of his campaign– has been turned into a treasonous act of stately subversion where instead of wanting to make war against Russia, he does his best to turn a blind eye to the neoliberals warmongering cawing; I bet you saw that neoliberals picked up on this and warped Trump’s shallow anti-Militarism into a literal love-affair with Putin (after all, who other than the people fucking Putin wouldn’t want to unleash a nuclear war against Russia and kill millions of people?!).

Let’s switch to a mind-experiment.

Pretend that you are a thirteen-year-old boy coming of age under a Trump presidency. Everywhere that you see is a heated political landscape. The president is hated and you share a lot of that attitude, though you are still finding your feet in the political world. But, politics is not exactly the first thing on your mind since everywhere that you go you continue to notice boys far more than your notice girls. What are you to think when after much internal struggle, you come to terms with your sexuality only to realize that everywhere you go, you see your sexuality externalized as the go-to method of expression for despising the president?

If you were in this boy’s position, you would likely be peeved off. Pissed that you can’t kiss another boy, or cuddle in bed, or hold his hand without some liberal ass-wipe just down the hall chiding Trump’s “gayness”. You would be pissed that your sexuality is now closely related to– *gasp*– anti-xenophobia, that most un-American of ideas!

You, my imaginary lad, have every fucking right to be pissed the fuck off.

It is like a return to the nineties where everything which wasn’t exactly right, or didn’t go to plan, or broke down, or was cheap or odd looking or lame or whatever, was “gay”. Except for this time around, you have to replace minor annoyances with Trump’s lackadaisical anti-war drive.

It is like Freud’s return of the repressed. Just very vulgar and somehow more insulting.

But, who can say that they are shocked? Not I, especially not recently with the so-called “Girther” “movement” in its full-parodic swing. My facebook feed has been filled with these very same liberals spamming page after page with the foulest, sickening Fat Shaming, Ableist tirades since 8Chan crawled out of its filthy hole.

Don’t forget this in your fury, though, don’t forget that it wasn’t conservative Republicans who made anti-Gay Trump memes. It wasn’t Republicans who as tone-deaf and terrible as they are with their rape apologia, who made these fat shaming memes No. The people who made these memes are liberals. The scum who created this thinly-veiled queerphobic drive are the same people who are supposedly are on the cutting edge of progressive politics, who want an “enlightened” attitude toward sex and gender. They are liars.

These people are not our champions. They are cockroaches. They are warmongers. They are the ruling capitalist elite’s running dogs. These are the people who spread child porn in pro-Bernie groups just to de-legitimate Sanders; these are the people who gave Obama the Bomber free-reign as he rained death in the Middle East and Africa and demolished Libya, turning it into a failed state; these liberals are the same group who supported some of the most virulent anti-Union legislation in literal human history, legislation so far-reaching that South American fascists rejected similar legislation for being too “extreme”. Enough is enough.

Liberals are not your friend. They never have been. They are reactionary, homophobic, sexist pigs. It is time to cut the illusion and cast away all ties– physical and ideological.

About Degrading Flith: A Pride Month Statement

It is nearly over, that awful spectacle which happens every year—(No) Pride Month, a time where liberal and progressive Queers congregate to congratulate themselves on being asswipes.

You may think I am being too harsh but the opposite is true, if anything, I am not being harsh enough because after the shit I have seen this month, I know I am not being as critical as I should warrant. What shit, you ask? Well, let me lay it out for you.

• Pig Pride and the Shit’s Collaborators: Police have no place in Pride. In case you forgot, police were the thugs who brutalized, raped, and murdered Queer people. Especially, working class Queer people. Frankly, I don’t give a shit if some Gay or Lesbian or Trans gender pig gets their feelings hurt at being excluded. Why don’t I care? Don’t you care, you scream, about ALL Queer Lives? My curt answer is “No”, I do not. I don’ give a rat’s fucking ass about pigs or their lives. They are enemies of the working class and should be treated as such: as far as I am concerned, Queer pigs are traitors to their community: you can’t uphold the idea of equality and equity while upholding those who promoted your genocide just a few decades ago. Fuck off.

 

• Racists, Fascists, and Shit Galore: Oh, and also, fuck off if you were one of those racist, White shitheads who piss and moan about the Queer Black-Brown Pride flag or actually thanked the fucking pigs at physically arming and arresting anti-Police brutality activists who blocked your marches trying to raise awareness about the violence working class Queers face every day. Let me make this absolutely plain—FUCK OFF RACIST MOTHERFUCKERS! This applies doubly to Zionist Pride marchers who like to shout “anti-Semitism” every time their horseshit gets rejected by organizers; no, your fascist fucking asses don’t belong anywhere in Pride, not as long as Palestinians lead a second-class existence under the heel of Apartheid Israel. Take your whining and shove it up your fucking ass. Same goes for your Alt-Right love-affair with the Neo-Nazi sympathizer Milo Yannopoopylopoous and the general love-affair which demonizes Islam. Just in case the first time wasn’t rammed through your skull, let me yell again—YOU CAN’T BE QUEER AND CONSERVATIVE AND NOT BE A TRAITOR! Open a goddamn history book.

 

• Corporate Dicksuckers (the Bad kind of Dicksuckers): I am going to say this: every. single. Year. Is. The. Same. Damn. Thing. Fucking honestly. I have no idea why otherwise intelligent and honest Queers rejoice for joy whenever there is a lot of corporate sponsors for the Pride parade. Asshole, use your fucking brain for something other than promoting homophobic anti-Trump conspiracy theories—corporations do not care the fuck about you! Picture after fucking picture is the same: logo this, slogan that; these capitalist bastards pay a small sum to have you float their fucking banner so they can pretend like they are bastions of fucking tolerance when it was literally fucking years ago that they didn’t even give their Queer employees benefits or recognize their Union in any fucking way. Stop being a goddamn collaborationist jackass and reject corporate sabotaging of your identity as a Queer person. Stop the corporate-capitalist bastardization of YOUR history!

 

• Queer Mass-Murderers and Jizzing for Clinton: Some time ago I saw a protest sign which read something to the extent of “If Hillary won we’d be at brunch right now”. This one sign summed up everything which is wrong with the Queer community. Even decades ago, when Gay Liberation was first getting off the ground, there was a concentrated effort by radicals to stop the “plastic Gay” culture from breeding; all the revolutionary manifestoes mentioned it. But, lately, it was accelerated big time and it reeks of fascistic opportunism. Signs like this reveal the privileged, racist complacency of so many in the Gay community who can only articulate politics through the spineless, warmongering lens of the Democratic Party. Sure, let’s ignore the cishet liberals who rapidly morphed into the liberal version of the tea party, complete with anti-communism, pro-war anti-Russian narratives, absurd conspiracy theories about the president, and twisted logic which promoted their “values” through homophobic memes featuring Putin and Trump. Let’s ignore all that; even then, the fact that Queerness can’t mean anything outside of the Russia-bashing is just pathetic and is part of what is egging on another world war or nuclear conflict. Now more than ever, people should be joining a revolutionary anti-capitalist organization. Yet, instead, they have been shilling for an opportunistic imperialist (Hillary Clinton) who just a few short years ago didn’t even support Gay Marriage and whose racist, genocidal bloodthirst has destroyed Libya and constantly egged on further conflict. I’m going to say the truth: I’m “glad” Trump won because if Killary won, we would be at war with Russia right now instead of merely “getting really, really close”. If your brand of Queerness is so rooted in imperialism and consumerism that you can’t separate that from blasé statements from politicians and mindless neoliberal ideology, then you and your belief system aren’t worth jack-fucking-shit.

 

Likely, there are points I am missing. Honestly, Pride has never been the most political or radical lately, but just this year, it has taken a terrible, racist, transphobic turn for the worse. Seriously, it is fucking sickening seeing the degrading, warped, and just messed up shit coming from the mostly White Queer contingent lately.

Remember this—stonewall was a riot!

Stonewall was a literal fucking rebellion against police brutality; it was started and fought by Trans people of color; it was endorsed by a hesitant Left who grew to accept Queer people and their struggle for freedom after this riot brought to attention the deplorable and revolutionary potential of non-White, non-gender conforming, sexual “deviants”. Because this revolutionary potential is wasted every day by traitors and assholes alike, it is particularly disgusting to see Stonewall dishonored like this and forgotten, the narrative given over to reactionaries. It is absolutely fucking horrifying to see actual Alt-Right Queers unknowingly pushing for their own demise by associating with these Queer bashing fascist fucks. Truly, the Queer community has reached a low lately; a stunning, deplorable low.

At this point, the reality is this: unless you are anti-racist, anti-fascist, and anti-capitalism, unless you support the violent and revolutionary overthrow of the capitalists, then you are playing yourself. Someday, you will end up in a concentration camp and marvel at the efficient the gas chambers, all while wondering how such an end came, probably unaware that you placed yourself there by compromising with fascism and its liberal enablers. This is the brass tax: if you are unprepared to challenge yourself and fight the dogma you have been force-fed your whole life, then expect history to repeat itself; because, let’s be honest, at this rate, history is doing just that at an incredible fucking pace.

On #HeterosexualPrideDay

*gasp followed by dramatic music* …is it okay?!?!?!

To those who celebrate this hashtag, to those who support it and have been fighting for the day when heterosexuals are able to march in a parade and celebrate their genitals without fear of persecution—I salute you!

Just kidding.

Actually, you are a piece of shit. You are nothing but a backward, counterrevolutionary sympathizer who, incidentally, falls prey to fascistic ideology in your hurried, and deeply confused, liberal sensibilities.

There is nothing about heterosexuality to be proud about. You reproduce—what is your fucking point? Are you persecuted, have you been disowned by your family for being straight, have religious leaders denounced your sexuality, equated you with pedophiles and banned you from religious life? Do Neo-Nazis and White Supremacists call for your execution? As a teenager did you ever run the risk of attempting to hook up with someone online only to be captured and publicly tortured by fascists? Does the state take extra pains to criminalize your amorous activities and simple day-to-day routine? Did you have to wage a decades’ long battle to marry your significant other only to have the courts step in an grant you marriage after they were sick and tired of seeing you “radicalize” youth? Was high school a living hell for you with everyone—including those supposedly oppressed ”nerds” and “geeks” calling you hate-words, calling you faggot, while they beat you up and raped you? Did you… honestly, I could go on but what I am trying to say is this—you have nothing, absolutely fucking nothing, to be proud about because you never faced persecution for simply existing. As such you do not get a “heterosexual pride day.” You have nothing to celebrate because you never had to reaffirm your identity in the face of violence unparalleled.

(For a defense of Gay Pride see here)

We live in a time of reaction. Identity politics has muddled ideology; once a sign which meant that the oppressed could have some semblance of respect, the counterrevolutionary forces, deeply imbued with a perverted conception of liberal humanism, have twisted identity politics into such a manner that it negates minority identities, suffusing it under the rancid banner of “equality” and “diversity” and ‘everyone is the same’ ideology.

Nothing happens in a vacuum. Ideology works in deceitful ways. The kind of liberal humanist ideology which we see in North America, that which stresses the false vacuum of class collaboration and mono-identity, has been hard at work to recombine these disparate activist strata, people who had become disenfranchised with the mass of violence directed at them and so took up arms against the body politic, back into the body politic; this is why after #BlackLivesMatter you see #AllLivesMatter and now, after #GayPride you see #HeterosexualPride, why after a horrific massacre left dozens dead in Orlando, these same people were fast at work in watering down the horrific violence by redirecting the nature of the violence (they said, remember, that Orlando was not the worst massacre in U.S history, and quickly gave confusing diatribes on Wounded Knee and others). It is not a slogan but rather pure reactionary ideology.

What the proponents of these hashtags would like you to believe is this: we all are equal and so everyone deserves a time to celebrate their identities; that, if some of the oppressors gave some of their time and energy to the oppressed then, at a time in the future when the oppressed are given a somewhat longer chain, then they—the oppressors who helped the oppressed—should be given all the grandeur of empowerment which the oppressed gave themselves.

Again, this is horseshit and, more often than not, white savior nonsense (a great deal of the activist stratum in North America, remember, is White middle class liberals preaching to white lower-middle class conservatives). You, as a heterosexual person, deserve nothing in return for your effort in helping the oppressed gain some equality or identity; it is the simple and most humane thing that can be expected of a person, to help another break the chains or become empowered to break it themselves. You do so because you cannot stand injustice and understand the systems of oppression when you see it, not because you want something in return one day, like a crying toddler.

The people promoting such beliefs, these hashtags and what they mean, are not your allies. These people have goals antithetical toward your own. They are white supremacists, heterosexist bigots who are actively attempting to recuperate bigotry and hatemongry into public discourse; in short, they are like Donald Trump, people who are experts in Double Speak and would like you to believe that their intentions are purely those of a conservative nature when, in reality, they are supported openly by swastika bearing Rightists. Their goals is the elevation of the nuclear family, the so-called ‘sanctity of marriage’ and the preservation of the racial and economic apparatuses which support those goals, apparati which are irreconcilable with true equality.

Believe it or not, this hashtag is not about you; it is not even about heterosexuality, per Se. It is about homosexuality and about how Rightist feel threatened by the gains made by gay and trans-gender activists. It is about bigots and conservatives attempting to relapse their hate into one which is socially acceptable, disguised as it is by liberal humanist horseshit. It has nothing to do with ‘celebrating their accomplishments as allies’ and everything to do with minimizing and negating the Queer identity. They do this because they seek to smash #QueerPride and erect a hetero-supremacist dictatorship in the concrete. They want to use our own weapons against them and this we cannot allow. We must, by whatever means, frustrate this attempt and eradicate it from historical memory.

Say NO to #HeterosexualPride

Say NO to the comprador Queer who supports it!

Say NO to Fascism!

Florida: A Symptom of Fascist Decay

Recently, a gunman opened fire in a Queer nightclub in the U.S. state of Florida. Armed with an automatic weapon and a handgun, the terrorist managed to kill at least fifty people and wound dozens more before he was killed by police as he attempted to take hostages. The attack is the worst mass-shooting in U.S. history.

What can we say about this incident? The moralist left has already had their share: it is a senseless, violent act perpetuated by someone deeply disturbed; their hearts are with everyone in this senseless tragedy. Although it is never bad to sympathize and show solidarity with those affected by terrorism, when it comes to violence against oppressed and marginalized communities, such sentimentality misses the point of why the act of violence was carried out in the first place.

In contemporary America, capitalism is, and has been for a long while, in a state of decay. Neoliberalism and neoconservatism have eroded a whole host of welfare and social programs, while, in turn, the Right-wing have gained immensely as Identity Politics have taken the stage; scientific and revolutionary ideology, meanwhile, has degenerated, with Leftist-hobby tendencies (such as Left Communism and Trotskyism), taking a more prominent level of appreciation to the point where they are seen as the official incarnations of Marxism.

This is all to say that the situation in the United States is bleak. The ruling class, moreover, knows that it is bleak and hence why they attempt to bulwark their rotting edifice by prompting identity politics. Although not a time or a place to go into detail on the nature of Queer individualism and identity politics more generally, it needs to be said that the rationale for this latest act of terrorism lies in the hands of the bourgeoisie and their advancement of postmodern Id-Pol.

We need to remember that the capitalist class is in crisis. This is why they are pushing identity politics– they want people, especially minority, oppressed, and super-exploited groups, to feel as if their community has a role to play. So, in order to accomplish this, they have launched a campaign of reform and multi-identity acceptance. Understanding that they have nothing to fear from same-sex marriage and anti-binary gender distinctions, they discarded the archaic heterosexist marriage laws and have allowed trans-queer activists to enter the political fold (so as to, like Gay and Black groups before them, have their goals ultimately usurped by the liberal bourgeois elements and thus recuperated into the superstructure as an instance of American exceptionalism).

Such a moment is done, remember, while ultra-conservative and Rightist neo-reactionary elements have thrived in a country where, under the pushing of minority Identity Politics as spearheaded by Obama the Bomber, have incited counterrevolutionary forces to the zenith of their paranoid-delusional fantasies and conspiracy theories. Under Obama, anti-Semitic, White Supremacist, Neo-Nazi groups have exploded and along with this explosion a deluge of misinformation and historical revisionism; we now see a political landscape mired with forces who view their idea of America as a thing of the past, where ‘ultra lefties, pinkos, commies,’ and the rest, have stolen the country and are indoctrinating youth with their esoteric academic views on gender and sexuality.

While much in the Leftist media have covered the violence against Black and Persons of color in this epoch of identity, little has been said in regards to Queer life. This is funny because non-heteronormative persons suffer all the same under a white-cis-hetero supremacist regime (especially, those Queer Persons of Color who, in this moment as the gunman being identified as someone from Afghan ancestry, will need solidarity which does more than express good wishes).

This brings us back to our present moment where, as over a hundred innocent people are made casualties at the hand of a terrorist, the Moralist left fails to consider the deeper ramifications of this assault; instead of organizing and publishing slogans of resistance to what is clearly a fascistic attack, the Queer and left groups are content to sentimentally mourn over this senseless tragedy instead of organizing self-defense committees and beginning the armament campaign needed to fend off fascist terror.

Fascist terror is not senseless; it is directed and rationalized. Deluded, but rational in its application: they want to “take America back” and “make America great again.” And they know how to do it.

The Leftist response to this attack should be something more than solidarity with the victims, it should, and needs to be, more than merely a sentimental tribute to the victims– it needs to be organized resistance to the white-hetero patriarchy which has fostered this death cult. It needs to be resistance led by a scientific ideal. Otherwise, we can expect to see more of these attacks without the proper means of ending the terror, all the while the further radicalization of the Right spurs ever greater means of violence.

A Weekend of Activity: Report from Occupy Summer Camp and EqualityME

The Feminist GA

Music, movies, grassroot organizing, and radical change: what do these things have in common, you ask? For starters all of them were present at this year’s first Occupy Main Summer Camp. From young musicians, to screening of tactical documentaries on non-violent protest, to the endless chatter of the general assembly, and beyond, into the realm of gay liberation, from June 22^nd to the 24^th this weekend was one to remember.

Starting on the 22^nd one would arrive at the Summer Camp to find an idyllic setting reminiscent of English fiction and Asian romanticism; the pleasant ponds and carefully mowed grass melded with the rustic architecture to leave a lasting imprint. Walking along the entry path I saw the signs which gave away the camp to the world. From “fire congress” signs to “Bring Our War Dollars Home” demands the atmosphere was unmistakably that of an activist’s world.

At once I set up my tent and registered. When such introductory processes were finished I was glad to discover that instead of name tags for the camp there would be homemade buttons. I instantly made on which displayed my name as well as my political identification. I found that a button was an iconic and unique way to say who one was.

Some hours later, once people had arrived and events began to become ordered, the first highlight of the day started: GA. Though in this session not much was accomplished outside of basic introductions and some talk on what brought each individual to the camp, I thought that holding a general assembly was vital if for nothing more than to keep the atmosphere of occupy alive.

The second highlight of the day came some time later when students from The New School, a democratic education high school, came to screen a documentary that they made pertaining to their experiences in Virginia learning about mountain top removal. The movie, When the Mountains Sound, was well made. For a gaggle of youth one might be surprised at the top quality of the film.

Growing sleepy I retired to my tent for the night after I had watched most of the student’s presentation. When I awoke early in the morning I snatched for myself a breakfast consisting of several banana blueberry pancakes and cupful’s of mixed fruit. Some light conversation eased me into the afternoon.

The first scheduled activity of Saturday was a teach-in about genetically modified foods and how corporations use them to clamp down on independent gardeners. Though the talk was far outside of my expertise zone, so as a result I did not contribute much, I nonetheless walked away from the session with a growing sense of urgency. Action was needed to help secure the transition to non-oil based societies and yet with me knowing little in this field, I wished my organic foods activists good will while they pressed forward with our shared struggle.

By the time this teach-in ended it was time for lunch. Which meant for me it was time to nibble on stale chips while I listened to an indie youth rock band play some of their songs. Each member was perhaps college age, if not younger, yet showed great talent in their musical field. The lead singer hit all of her vocal cues perfectly while the guitarist, drummer, bass and electric piano player dutifully followed suit and complimented her adequately.

Feeling tired of music; however, I felt that it was time for another overly long workshop about an obscure topic. Turns out I was in luck. Soon after the lunch period veteran environmentalists gave a fascinating dissection on their decade long struggle against both the state and corporations in cleaning up what used to be classified as one of the most polluted rivers in the world. Their coalition worked diligently and won several victories eventually winning them the right for river life, such as fish, to have an alternative route of migration. Though I entered that workshop an ignorant individual, I left with a great appreciation for the struggle these people undertook for the rights which all animals deserve.

Next up was the Feminist GA (General Assembly) . With it being my first time attending I did not know what to expect. I was pleased to find out that the experience was worthwhile. After the obligatory round of introductions, in which was the only time I revealed personal details about myself, we separated into two groups: male and female. This was done in an effort to better have each sex understand how patriarchy affects them. Though I was left with the impression that the male group didn’t fully delve into their position of power and how it affects individuals who identify as female, I thought that it was a good first step, especially for those who had never before attended such an event.

At this time, unfortunately, the whether began to turn rotten. The clouds darkened and rain started to drizzle then pour in a hellish downcast. Though I fetched my umbrella from my tent, a structure which I knew wouldn’t hold up well in such a storm, it served little use in actual protection. While attempting to do several tasks for the group I was soaked to the bone.

Drying took a couple hours but within that time the rain had slowed to a steady, but light, shower. With the worst of the storm behind us everyone was stoked to see that after the storm a double rainbow graced us with its beauty. Its shining colors and breath taking magnitude brightened up everyone’s day and showed that after the worst of life there is a silver lining.

Some hours after the halting of the rainstorm I was disposed to return to my tent and check on the damage. I was in luck that despite the heavy downcast my sleeping bag was, with the exception of being a little moist on the bottom when I applied weight, alright. Though my backpack and its accompanying clothes were drenched and the tent bottom wet, I still thought that for the little protection offered by the overhead tarp I came out on top.

So with me being ready to call it a night and rouse myself for tomorrow’s canvassing, I stripped off all unnecessary clothes, and was able to fall asleep rather quickly, all things considered. As I lay in that tiny tent, listening to the patter of rain falling upon my humble abode, I had the realization that this weekend felt like a continuation at my time at the Augusta Occupy encampment; adverse weather, heated arguments, and eating little, and as much as possible, fused to leave an impression which, though not perfect, turned my lingering doubts into a hazy mist of security: Occupy was still alive and if we were going to inflict any real change on the system than we would continue with our actions as long as it took; as long as there is an oppressive government, Occupy will be there.

~             ~             ~

                The next day I left the summer camp in the wee hours of the morning so as to meet my father in Augusta where I was scheduled to canvass the capital with marriage equality activists. Though we had never been to the Unitarian church before, the location in which we were to cooperate from, we had an easy time finding the place. When I entered the Church there was a crowd of individuals. Though many of them wouldn’t stay for the canvassing when I glimpsed the “Mainers United for Marriage” stickers I knew I was in the right place.

After waiting a little while the training session eventually began. Though the initial session, which was for “Pod leaders” was not what I had signed up for it was an interesting glimpse into what would have happened if I volunteered for a leadership position. The insight into being a squad leader made me feel more confident in what was expected. After this session for the squad leaders some more volunteers arrived and so began the second training session for the general canvassers.

The training session went over some very basic lines within the script the organizers gave to us. The proper responses to how people reacted determined how far the conversation went with the person. Prepared responses for religious individuals were also encouraged as it was important to convey that the campaign’s target for this election was communicating the importance of love and commitment within homosexual relationships. The organizers made it explicitly clear that unless the response was completely detrimental we were to continue in conversation with hopes of persuading them into a supportive position.

Once these initial session were completed my partner and I, a nice young women who like me was also shy, went out into the big world to knock on peoples doors, engage them in deep conversation, as well as leave tons of material if they were not home. The day was bright and sunny so we did not have to worry about any negatives raining on our parade (which was good as my clothes were still a bit wet from yesterday’s shower).

Though I was immensely nervous about canvassing for the first time I knew it was work which needed to be done. So I sucked it up and put on my confident mask. Shadowing my partner for the first couple of houses, just to learn the trade, we knocked on the door of our first house. Those who answered were a young man, maybe mid-thirties or late twenties, who ate an apple while his wife, the individual whom we needed to speak with, finished up with the duties which beset her. In the meantime we had a nice exchange with her husband who seemed very intent on trying to get us to think of creative reasons as to why individuals should support gay marriage.

In the end of this first encounter we ended up signing on his wife to our program. As it turned out both were already ardent supporters of our cause. Not only that but when my partner stumbled, as often happens in these high pressure situations, I took up her failing and earned an illuminating shot of praise from our target women’s husband. This not only gave me some confidence for the rest of the day but instilled me with hope that I was, indeed, making a difference.

Still, though that initial encounter was positive that would largely be the only encounter of the day. During the rest of the day we encountered little of our target voters. Indeed it was baffling about how many people were not home so it is aggravating to think back to how many campaign fliers I left on peoples steps. Needless to say I ran out of my hefty bundle without even so much as mild chatting. As nervous as I was to talk with people I can honestly say that about half-way through the day I was earnestly annoyed at the lack of individuals whom I was able to converse with. By the time my partner and I returned to the church, at around five in the afternoon, it was at least comforting to discover that the other teams only had marginally better fortune than us.

So though my first canvassing session ended without much real action I was proud of myself for taking the first step towards practical liberation for my people. Without hesitating I volunteered for the next round of canvassing set to begin On July 8^th of this year. I am considering inviting my friend to this event for as the old saying goes: the more the merrier. And when it comes to gay liberation, the merrier the better.

The Queer Project Report #2

Let’s first begin with the trial of CeCeMcDonald. Last we left off I had explained some about her situation: how she was attacked late one night by four white assailants and by the end of the night two of them lay dead. Well, though only a week has passed quite a lot has happened. During her trial CeCe plead guilty to a reduced manslaughter charge; a sentence which will carry an incarceration time of 41 months in prison.

Reasons of which CeCe accepted the plea deal are rather obvious to see: bigotry. With a court of her so-called peers obviously unpleasant to her situation (the judge here, in an incredulous statement, ruled that CeCe’s attacker’s Swastika tattoo was not a sign of his transphobia while nor was his several prior convictions of violent assault; the judge ruled this while also stating that CeCe’s supporters could not wear “Support CeCe” shirts while in court), and none of them, to my knowledge, being Transgender themselves, many people would have done the same as CeCe when faed with a potentially much heavier sentence.

Under bourgeois democracy this is what humanity has been reduced to: pleading for mercy after nearly being murdered by fascists. Queer people of color are safe nowhere. This is not only present in CeCe’s case but also in the case of Brandy Martell. Brandy, who was a Transwomen, was found shot to death early last Sunday morning. Investigators managed to piece together that Brandy’s attackers assaulted her once they discovered she was Transgender.

So it appears that the theme lately has been race; that pointless societal construct built out of economic plunder. It not only has been race but it has been how said construct factors into oppressed communities. Well, here is another story that will boil some blood.

One might have heard of the North Carolina struggle over Gay Unions, how the conservative monsters are attempting to do away with any trace of partial equality. Well, recently it has been revealed, by his own wife no less, that NC Amendment 1 was drafted by Peter Brunstetter in order to “protect the Caucasian race.” A splendid show of how White Supremacy fits into anti-gay nuclearism. Only in the twisted minds of these ultra-nationalists could homosexual civil unions threaten heterosexual procreation.

Speaking of procreation, on April 27^th GOP member Sandy Adams introduced an alternative bill, HR 4790, of the “Violence against Women Act.” What is different about this bill? Well, it is largely the same as its processor except for that it leaves out protection for Queer couples. Wonderful, right? What do you do when those pesky women get their way? Well you draft a bill in which you take a potshot at queer people, that’s what!

As usual the end result of all this hatred is death. This week was no different, unfortunately. For earlier this week, Gay Northern Utah teen Jack Reece took his life. Queer organizers in the state have called it a tragedy but remain sober as, in their own words, “This happens at least once a week.”