a second collection
of radical queer moments...
the stories this far:

(tn 50 particular order)

‘Naughty Northl......

Gran Fury,

* these moments in queor history ape not subject to chronologloa order, Tte deoialn not
o arango things 1n such an order s inbentional, OBFOnOIogy suggests things have coms
and gone where we belisve many things continue %o be Very muoh present and important.
Chronclogioal order also ofien suggosts progress, and I do not believe moving forward,
‘whon the world is 5o fucking backwards, 15 8 step in the ight dirseton..

Greelngs!

Ithas been neat o travel across te united sites and canada seeing the st edtion of s
200 popping up here and there. The monireal anarchist bookfaie, the wooden shoe i phily,
punk house bathvoors, queer collcive ibraries, college women and gender studies lunges.
thas always been fun t see where these lverated copy machine histoiographies end up.

Butltmakes me tink more and more abou the question, wh s history for? Vihy go through
e trouble of metculous research, ediing, formating and printing? Why does this proct fes!
S0 important for me, and who eise s going 1o care enough to read this? And even if someone
does read tis, what does itactvate?

11566 young (and old) gays all around me obsessing over gay mariage s if ts going to cure
AIDS; stop anfqueer vioence, provide all of us uninsured queers with healh care, and
reform racist immigration poilies. When in reaty it will smply consoldate powes, money and
propery amongst aiready privieged gays, not fo menfion champion coupling over more
dynamic ways of being in relatonships. | cant help but think that if us younger queers had
access fo the radical histories we have il come from, we coud see obher more biliant queer
futures than those promised by my neoiberal models of inclusivty. The same models tat
push those of us at the furthest margins, queers of color, cip queers, IV queers, trans.
folks, sex workers, homeless queers, working ciass queers, efc.,even furher away...

Pethaps f we put these memaries in acton we can ses the struggle for mainsteam hetero-
normcy as inherenty vioent and destrucive © our queer cultral herage. I these
memories were put into acton, peraps queer leenagers would fosist te gay marriage boot
camps being rammed down their throats by the Naonal Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the.
Human Rights Campaign and demand saler schools, safer housing and diect access 10
culturally competent sex edtucton and safer sex supples Instead. If hese memories were in
adtion, maybe we could be looking o dismantie the miltary industial complex, not joiing 1. If
these memorles were in acton, maybe we would be making queer families in infinte
combinations of lovers and frends. f theso memories were put nto action, perhaps we couid
adequately chalenge Obamais new HIVAAIDS preventon campaign that is nearly devoid of
queer conlent even hough queer men (partulary of color) account for roughly 75% of new
HIV infectons in the urited states. Can our radical queer histores realy provide the
necessary ground from which to make our mast radica dreams and desires a realty? | don't
Know.. Butthisis aplace for me to work from and hopefully oters oo.

And again, ths ‘Zine is not an attempt at a complete and definitive radical queer history,
athough it ncludes 8 more pages of information than th last version. Such a goal s nefter
possible nordesirabl. Alo, s 2ie s notal oiginal work. A lt of the pecos o gathered
fom here and there, plagiarzed at il to shed some ight o our histories that are al o oflen
hidden, disored, erased, and lost. Repicate at will,photocopy lke crazy, and teach each
ather. We've gotots ofleaming 10 do!

Tharks again o friends and famiy, i the quesest sense of e word,for helping put togeher
pages, researching, edilng and printng s project Out of the closets, and into e laries!

vith heart -~ conrad!
ENDTYTHE GAY
RIGHTS MOUVEMENT
" AS WE KNOW IT |

lets deal with real issues!!!

Queer to the Left is a Chicago-based
multi-racial group of lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, and queer people committed to
working in coalition with queers and non-queers
to promote economic, gender, racial, and sexual
justice. Our curremt work focuses on building
affordable housing and promoting fair community
development that does not undermine important
community institutions; fighting to abolish the
death penalty; and fighting against US war
making.

Before the beginning of World War ll, homosexuals in Germany,
especially in Berlin, enjoyed more freedom and acceptance than
anywhere else in the world. However, upon the rise of Adolf Hitler, gay
men and, to a lesser extent, lesoians, were two of several groups
targeted by the Nazi Party. Beginning in 1833, gay organizations were
banned, scholarly books about homosexually, and sexualty in general,
were bumed, and homosexuals within the Nazi Party itself were
murdered. The Gestapo compied lists of homosexuals, and they were
compelled to sexually conform to the German norm. More than one
milion homosexuals were targeted, and at least 100,000 were
imprisoned under the policy of *Extermination Through Work". German
soldiers also were known to use gay men for target practice, aiming
their weapons at the pink triangles their human targets were forced to
wear. Estimated deaths of gay men imprisoned in concentration camps
vary from 15,000 to 600,000. Homosexuals in camps were treated in an
unusually cruel manner by their captors, and were aiso persecuted by
their fellow inmates. This was a factor in the relatively high death rate
for homosexuals, compared to other “anti-social groups”

An account of a gay Holocaust suvivor, Pierre Seel, details i for gay
men during Nazi control. In his account he states that he participated
in his local gay community in the town of Mulhouse. When the Nezis

gained power over the town his name was on a list of local gay men
ordered to the police station. He obeyed the directive to protect his
family from any retaliation. Upon arriving at the police station he notes
that he and other gay men were beaten. Some gay men who resisted
the SS had their fingemalls puled out. Others were raped with broken
rulers and had their bowels punctured, causing them to bleed profusoly.
After his arrest he was sent to the concentration camp at Schitmeck.
There, Seel stated that during a moming roll-call, the Nazi commander
announced a public execution. A man was brought out, and Seel
recognized his face. It was the face of his eighteen-year-old lover from
Mulhouse. Seel then claims that the Nazi guards stripped the clothes of
is lover and piaced a metal bucket over his head. Then the guards
released trained German Shepherd dogs on him, which mauled him to
death.

After the war, the treatment of homosexuals in concentration camps
went unacknowledged by most countries, and most men were even re-
arested and imprisoned based on evidence found during the Nazi years.
They were forced to Serve out their sentence for being homosexuals
under paragraph 175. It was not until the 1980s that govemments
acknowledged this episode, and not uniil 2002 that the German
goverment apologized to the gay community. This period still provokes
controversy, however; and in 2005, when the European Parliament
drafted resolution regarding the Holocaust, mention of the persecution
of homosexuals was removed after debate.

we LESBIAN

The Lesbian Avengers was originally founded in
New York in 1992 by a group of lesbian activists from
ACT-UP. The purpose of the group is to identify and
promote lesbian issues and perspectives while
empowering lesbians to become experienced organizers
who can participate in political rebellion. The Avengers
are inclusive and work with and for women of all colors
and classes; bisexual, heterosexual, and queer women;
and trans and intersex folks. Emphasis is placed highly on
turning energy into action, and using that energy
constructively against heterosexist, homophobic,
heteronormative, classist, racist, sexist, and generally
oppressive forces and institutions in society and our own
community. There are about fiftyfive Lesbian Avenger
chapters, five of them international. There is no national
organization or structure, and each chapter is locally
founded and operated. Each chapter of the Lesbian
Avengers works In collaboration on major events like the
annual Dyke March and larger, national protests, as well
as in coalition with other progressive groups in their
communities. Turn energy into action. "Be the bomb you
throw.”

Queer Nation was founded in March 1990 in New York Gity, USA by acliviss from ACT-UP. The
four founders were outraged at the escalation of anti-gay and lesbian violence on the streets
and prejudice inthe arts and media. One of the four was a survvor of ant-gay violence.

On March 20, 1990, sixty queers gathered at the Gay, Bisexual and Transgender
Community Center in New York's Greenvich Vilage 1o create a cirect-acton organization. The
goal o the unnamed organization was the eiimnation of homophobia, and the increase of gay,
leshian and bisexualvisbfty though a variety of tacis.

The drect-action group's inaugural action took place at Futie’s Bar, a swaight
hangout at the South Street Sea Port on April 13, 1990, The goal: to make ciear to patrons
that queers wil not be restricted to gay bars for sociazing and for public displays of afecton.
Wore visbity actons like this one became known as "Queer Nights Out”

Athough the name Queer Nation had been used casually since the group's inception,
it was offclly approved atthe group's general meeting on May 17, 1990

Queer Nation's popular slogan "We're here. We're queer, Get used to it” was,
adopted and used by many in the LGBT community. Aside from its miltant protest stye, as
opposed to the more relommist gay rigts organzations such as the Human ights Campaign
orthe Log Cabin Republicans, Queer Nation was most eflctive and poertul n the early 19905
in the USA, and used direct action o fight for gay rights. They also vorked with AIDS
organization ACT-UP as well 25 WHAM! and were the birthplace of Queer Acton Figures. Even
though never offcial disbanded, most sources agree that Queer Nation no longer exits.

Queer Nation is credited with starting the process of reciiming the word queer,
which, previously, vas only used in a pejorative sense and Queer Nation's use of It in ther
name and slogan was t irst considered shocking

Queer Naton is also finked to several controversil incidents i which closeted public
fqures were outed as gay or lesbian. Queer Nation's reasoning was that ending this
“hypocrisy” benefted gays as 2 group because it et them know thre actually were gay people
in nfluental places, and promated gay rights by forcing the outed and the organizations they
belonged to take a stance on issues concerning gays. Many in the gay community did not
agree with Queer Nation's radicl tactcs and favored a more assimilatonst course of action

Queer Liberation Army

The Queer Liberation Army formed as a spontaneous reaction to the growing poliical and
cubural bacdash against queers in America. e are here to lberate this country's queers
from a far right bent on desiroying them, a Democrati pary wiling to biame them, and a
mainstream gayesbian movement wiling o give up on basic human rights for all queers in
exchange for martage rights for some. We wil achieve our aims through the creatve use of
mass media, demonstrations, non-olent direct actions, the speaking of ruth, the use of
humor in 2 bleak world, the pursuit of pleasures as multpe as we are, and a fabulously
queer style i the face of ugliness. We also seek 1o strengthen and budd aliances vith other
movementsfor sodial justice that are sympathetic to our mission

The current threat to queers doesn't come fust from right wing evangelicals and neo-
consenvatve polticans, however. The Democratc Party has also dedared open season on
queers. Immediatey following the latest Democratc party elecoral debadle, Dianne Feinsten
(D, CA) seid that same sex marriage “gives (conservtives) a positon to rally around. The
whole issue has been too much, too fat,too soon. Peaple aren' ready for t.” ohn Kerry's
o-chai of gay and lesbian outreach, lff Trammel, concluded that “(t)he big fesson.... is)
fiquring out how o tak about ssues in a vy where you're notfor o against gay peaple.”
The reallesson oftis electon i tht thre’s fte point n queers supportng poltical parties
that have absolitely no ethical commitment to providing humn rghts to all American
cizens, The Dems have o vision of social justice in this country or for the word. They
support the ver, the milary economy and the curent systems of class, race, and
gender/sex hicrarchies. To paraphrase Gore Vida, the US. continues to have a one party
System vith two right wings. The Queer Liberation Amny asks all queers to stop bindly
following the Democrats {roughly 75% of gay and lesbian voters supported Jon Kerry — a
candidate who has done fite to extend the rghts of queers in this country — n the most
recent presidential election) and to demand real representation by partes and candidates
that support human rights for all, ot just the rights of wealthy, whie, maried,
heteroseuals.

The Queer Liveration Army has also formed as an aktemative to mainsiream gay and lesbian
organizations which are increasingly consenvative in thelr approach. By focusing almost
exclusively on the issue of same sex marriage, mainsiream gayllesbian organizations have
ignored the needs of most queers and worse, supported the current sexgencer apartheid
by agreeing that the only vauable reationships are those that minic the heterosexal
marriage models. The fact that a nuber of mainsiream gayflestian organizations are
currently courting the fes of ex-New Jersey governor James McGreevey — who throughout
s career sought to benefi ram the trappings of heterosexual marriage while doing ttle for

the queer commurity - as potential public face is but one recent example of how misguided
the actons of many mainsiream gay organizations have become.

The Queer Liberation Army hereby deciares war on the far rigt, the Republican Party, the
Democratic Party, mainstream gay and lesbian organizations and anyone else who blocks full
‘equalty for queers.

Th d:

We demand that rights and privileges be detached from marital status, and
that family relationships be defined by the people in them, not the state.
People’s rights in relation to health insurance, social security benefis,
hospital visitation, inheritance, child custody, adoption, and other Issues
should not be determined by their willingness or ability to participate in a
fundamentally unequal system such as marriage.

We demand that all children be allowed to learn about their bodies and
sexual health unfettered by political and religious doctrines that turn
pleasure into shame and well-being into disease.

We demand that the medical and psychiatric professions stop enforcing
sex/gender apartheid through the creation of false diseases and the denial
of medical care.

We demand an end to anti-queer violence and intimidation.
We demand full equality in all spheres of American life.

The Queer Liberation Army is fighting to unite all of us into an army of
queers—a mass of people willing to live- not die or kill- so that human
diversity can prosper.

The U.S. Army wants you for their unjust war in Irag, but why be cannon
fodder when you can Join the Queer Liberation Army and fight for peace,
justice, truth, and pleasure.

Timeline...

70 Nov 1978 - Dan White resigas his elected position on San Francisco's
Board of Supervisors.

27 Nov 1978 - Dan White entered San Francisco City Hall through a
basement window, went upstairs, and shot and killed Mayor George
Moscone and Gay Activist/Supetvisor Harvey Milk.

May 1979 - Psychiatrist Martin Blinder testified in court that White had
been depressed, which led to eating junk food: Twinkies and Coca-Cola.
“This further deepened White's depression, since he was an ex-athlete and
knew that the food was not good for him. This was evidence of his
depression that prompted his murder spree. This celebrated diagnosis
became known as the "Twinkie defense.”

White's depression was used to establish grounds for a successful
diminished capacity ples; and therefore White was judged incapable of
the premeditation required for 2 murder conviction.

21 May 1979 - Dan White is convicted of the lesser charge of voluntary
‘manshaughtes and s seatenced to seven years and cight months in prison.

The queer community revols. .

a personal account:

As evening approached, a crowd gathered at Castro and Market. We wete
angry. We wanted the world to know we were angry. We took over
Castro Street and stood around with no idea of what we should do.

Eveatually the crowd moved into the intersection of Castro and Market.

Traffic came to a standstill. There were only a few policemen present and
they did nothing more than observe the scene. As time passed, the crowd
grow larger, eventually exceeding 1000. TV News trucks arrived. More
police arrived. Amid the shouting and whistle blowing, there were shouts
from the crowd. "CITY HALL" became the rallying cry.

We began moving down Market toward City Hall, getting louder, growing
larger, picking up momentum. The crowd had become huge by the time
we teached the Civic Center. There was nothiag to do, n0 one addressed
the group, no one gave any instructions. But something had to happen. We
were much too angry to just end the demonstzation. Some people near the
entrance began pulling the wrought iron grillwork off the doors and using
the pieces to break the glass. One person was seen entering through a
broken basement window. They stated a fire using papers on the desk in
the room. City Hall was trashed. Several hundzed police in riot gear stood
in formation at the comer, watching the activity, but they were not allowed
to respond, a wise decision on the part of the administration. For some
season they had parked police cars at the other end of the block. No one
really wanted to destroy City Hall. They just wanted to make a statement.
However, when the Activists went after the cars, cheess of approval came
from the crowd. A dozen police cars were torched. Car homs and sirens
from the burning cars added a chaotic note to the smoky night air.

Seemingly appeased, some began heading back to the Castro, Others feared
the inevitable retaliation and hurried off into the night. At some point after
the crowd thinned, the police were unleashed, and heads began to roll
Battles erupted everywhere and many fought back valiantly. Tree limbs and
pasking meters and picces of asphalt were used as weapons. These were
queers fighting for what they belicved in. Police suffered nearly as many
casualties s the resistance. The people were eventually dsiven from the
Civic Center and the slower ones suffered the wrath of the overzealous
officers. They pushed people down to Market Street where many store
windows had alzeady been broken.

Castro street was fall of people relating stories, debating the issues, licking
‘wounds. After Midnight dozeas of police arrived. They had been
humiliated earlier and were here to even the score. They gathered at Market
and started moving the crowd down toward 18th. We wete in no mood to
‘comply. Many of them weren't wearing badges or name tags!

They came to our neighborhood to get even. They formed a line and
moved us half way down the block. It became evideat to all, even to
those who had stayed in the Castro and away from the riot; WE WERE
AT WAR WITH THE POLICE!

People came from every direction to join the resistance and we
moved the invading forces right back up to the corner. They appeared to
be leaving but they somchow regrouped at the comer of 18th and Castro.
We stood and watched as they marched into the Elephant Walk,
smashing windows, doors, tables, chairs, botdles, and peoples' heads.
Some victims needed to be hospitalized. These police were vicious. They
were out for blood

The rioting police cost the City fortune in Lawsuits and Investigations.
The FBI even looked into it. We had no reason to apologize for our

action. We had been pushed beyond our ability to swallow any more
hatred and we did what we had to do.

6 Jan 1984 - Dan White is paroled from Soledad Prison after setving 5
years and 1 month in prison. White's release was carried out with great
Sectecy. The aftemoon before his scheduled release, he was transferred 200
milles south to a facilty in the Tehachapi Mountains north of Los Angeles.
The next morning, he was handed over to the Los Angeles Parole
Depastment that had atranged an apartment for him somewhere in LA.

Several protests wese held in San Francisco the day of Dan White's release
from Soledad Prison including a rally at Union Square where some
speakers called for the public to punish White, while others expressed their
hope for his death.

Jan 1985 - After serving his year of parole time in Los Angeles, White was
‘allowed to return to San Francisco. Mayor Diane Feinstein' publicly asked
him not to return to The City, but he did.

21 Oct 1985 - With a garden hose hooked up to the exhaust pipe of his
1970 Buick Le Sabre, Dan White comeits suicide in bis garage.
Les panthéres

montreal

Destination centre d'achat, clinique de beauté? A
I'inverse des milliers de gais et lesbiennes qui marchent
gentiment dans la direction indiquée par les leaders, les
Panthéres roses et toujours plus de monde ont décidé
désormais de désobéir & ca. Au capitalisme rose. A I'hétéro-
société. Aux régles des genres binaires. A toutes les lois
ennemies de la liberté, de I'égalité. Et aux ennemies d'une
Terre verte, sans frontidre étatique et sans frontire
sexuelle.

.

Heading for the shopping mall, or the salon? The Pink
Panthers and, as time progresses, many others, have decided
to march in the opposite direction from the thousands of
gays and lesbians who are apathetically following the
leaders. The Pink Panthers have decided to not obey.
Disobey pink capitalism. Hetero-society. Binary gender rules.
To disobey all laws that are enemies to liberty and equality.
To disobey the enemies of a green earth, and fo defy
borders and sexual frontiers.

Naughty North is a movement not a market! We are committed to
celsbrating our queerest selves while resisting the devastating violence
inherent n the consumer driven assimilationist gaystream. We will defend
ourselves ogainst the brutal silence of isolation thru a diverse and
dedicated network of action oriented friends and lovers. We will not deny
our anger or fail to recognize the links betwoen quest struggle and
challenging power. Naughty North is a defiant orgasm in the face of
oppression: all are welooms to gt off with usl -2007

NAUGHTY NORTH!

‘Points of Unity

- We will build friendships and alliances across urban and rural boundaries,
celebrating our diversity and micro-cultures while breaking down isolation.
Through campouts, work partics, dance parties, sleepovers, farm days, etc,
wwe wil create and share a positive queer experience.

- We will not only critique targets like corporations, but we will also
expose inconsistencies within our social groups and so-called “communities”,
in order to grow more toward our radical ideals. Whenever possible, we wil
use theatrics, bumor and satire to communicate and o crifique ourselves.

- Fighting racism, classism, misogyny, heterosexism, transphobia, ableism,
capitalisin and all other hierarchies is a central purpose of Naughty North,
not an add-on. We will work to create a space where radical queers can
challenge these hierarchies and build alliances with other oppressed peoples
willing to struggle with us.

- We are commitred to inter-generational struggle. Radical queer history
has been systematically distorted, erased and disappeared by the AIDS
genocide and fear. We will re-learn and teach these histories to inform our
present and push the boundaries of a new queer activism.

- We will confront notions of shame from both the Christian Right and the
‘mainstream gay and lesbian community.

- Assimilation s death through erasure. We oppose all forms of
assimilation, especially gay marriage and inclusion in the military industrial
complex.

- Our (direct) actions will not only be fierce and critical, but fun and
empowering.

- We will create a radical presence at queer events and a queer presence at
radical events.

httpi/thenaughtynorth blogspot.com

Prisoner Correspondence Project

The Prisoner Correspondence Project is a collectively-run
initiative based out of Montreal, Quebec. It coordinates a direct-
correspondence program for gay, lesbian, transsexual,
transgender, gendervariant, two-spirit, intersex, bisexual and
queer inmates in Canada and the United States, linking these
inmates with people a part of these same communities outside
of prison. In addition, it coordinates a resource fibrary of
information regarding harm reduction practice (safer sex, safer
drug-use, clean needle care), HIV and HEPC prevention,
homophobia, transphobia, coming out, etc. The project also
aims to reinstate prisoner justice and prisoner solidarity as a
priority within queer movements on the outside through events
like film screenings, workshops, and panel discussions which
touch on the broader issues relating to criminalization and
incarceration of queers and transfolk.

The Prisoner Correspondence Project is a working group of the
Quebec Public Interest Research Group (QPIRG) at Concordia
University.

Queers Undermining Israeli Terrorism (QuiT)
was founded in early 2001 by members of LAGA-Queer Insurrecton and
individuals formerly associated vith DAGGER (Dykes & Gay Guys Emergency
Response), which was active during the first Guif Warcitation needed]
According to the Anti-Defamation League, the group “supports divestment, the
Tight of retun for all Palestinians, immediate Israefi witidrawal from Palestinian
territories and gescribes Zionism ES racsm.*

* February, 2002-QUIT! participated In the National Student Conference of the
Palestine Solidarity Movement on the Berkeley campus of the University of Calfornia.

* June, 2002--QUIT! “inltiated” a * 'No prde In occupation’ ant-war contingent that
marched n soldarity with the Palestinian people® in San Francisco’s Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual and Transgender Pride March.

* August, 2002-25 members of the group reportediy "took over' Starbucks in
Berkeley in protest of the fim's stores in Israel and CEO Howard Shutz support for
Israel

* June, 2003--The screening of an Israeli fim, Yossi & Jagger, at San Francisco's
San Francisco Infematonal Lesbian and Gay Fim Festival is disrupted by QUIT!
activsts. The protest “outraged" Yossi Amrani, the lsraeli Consul General and caused
minor local media flap.

* June, 2003-QUIT! begins s campaign against the cosmetic company Estée
Lauder outside of a Macy’s deparment siore in San Francisco. The company is
targeted bacause of Ronald Lauders, the company's founder, support for sreel and his
service as president of the Jewish National Fund.

Why do we call ourselves the RHA?

“Beware the Radical Homosexual Agendal” That's the Right Wing's
sallying cry. I¢s meant to conjure a legion of pink-chad, poly-loving, left-
of-left queers who are threatening to invade Small Town America. Wel,
that description sounds sort of nice to us, oo, actually. Except for the
invasion part—'cause we're also anti-imperialist. And besides, we've been
in those small towns and everywhere clse all along.

Who is the RHA?

We're queer folks of diverse ages and backgrounds who are based in
the New York City metopolitan area. We're gender-queers and run-of
the mill homosexuals, bisexuals and transexuals.

What is the RHA all about?

If you listen to the Human Rights Campaign or the iberal politicians,
youd thinlk all queers wanted to siga their life away to Uncle Sam or get
“married” and have kids. But queer libesation reaches way beyond these
issues.

‘The quee liberation groups of the 60s and 70s had much broader
social visions. They wese anti-wa, they fought for cconomic rights and
agitated for free speech and a greater vision of democracy.

In the downsizing of our dreams that occurred during the last several
decades, mainstzeam LGBTQ groups have forgotten these connections.
They'd rather feed quees soldiers to Bush’s war than fight the military-
industrial complex. They forget that, even more than marriage, the
‘majority of queers also need affordable housing and health care. Aod this
s convenient for these groups and politicians, since they're underwritten
by corporations whose very existences are threatened by steps towazds
economic equality and 2 more egalitarian democracy.

Gran Fury

was an activist/artist collective that came together in 1988. The group
was formed as a spin-off from the original group ACT UP. They took the
name Gran Fury as itwas the specific Plymouth model used by the New
York Police

anger toward;

unoffcial prof

strategies as

Gran Fury did| b towards the
AIDS pander lack of action
towards findi as an affinity
group within 4 on, "LET THE
RECORD S together as
an art colleqy prsion of the
Silence=Dea 3 EATH,
however, ung es of "AIDS
criminals” -

misrepresentd

from each pef

on AIDS. Th

Reagan. His

silence on tt

They also ai

Often their

collaboration

1990's the gro surrounding
the AIDS issue, and had starting using more text which had made it
hard for the group to shock and relay their messages as effectively as
before. In 1994, after the death of member Mark Simpson, the group
disbanded

Bash Back! formed in 2007 with a small group of Radical Transfok, Queers
and Alles organizing against the Republican National Conventon. In Aprl of
2008 over 100 radical Trans/QueeriAlied folk met in Chicago to formulate
plans against the RNC/DNC and to start a long lasting network. Anyone who
agrees vith the Points of Unity can start a Bash Back! Chapter

In Noverber of 2008 Bash Back! folks infilrated the Mount Hope Church, an
anfi-queer mega church in Lansing Michigan, disruptng services with
screaming, banner cropping, gitter throwing, fie alarm puling and of course,
smooching. Soon after the action the group received fons of press calling out
the Mount Hope Church on their partcipation in ex-gay ministies, *hell
houses", and other anti-quer doings.

POINTS OF UNITY

Mermbers of Bash Back! must agree o

1. Fightfor liberation. Nothing more, nothing less. State recogniton in the form
of oppressive insttutions such 2s marriage and miltarism are notsteps foward
Iiberation but rather towards heferonormaive assimiation

2. A rejection of Capitalism, Imperialism, and all forms of State power.

3. Actively oppose oppression both in and out of the “movement” Al
oppressive behavior is not o be tolerated.

4. Respect a diversity of tactics in the struggle for liberation. Do not solely
condemn an action on the grounds that the State deems it fo be illegal.

Active in New York Gy from 1991 to 1995, ferce pussy was compased of a fluid and often-
shiting cadre of dykes. ~ Adamanty lowech, fast and low-budget, ferce pussy reed on
modest resources: old typewritrs, found photographs, thei own baby pictures, and whatever
matesial they could get donated. Much of the work was produced using the equipment at their
day jobs. Emerging during decade steeped in the AIDS crsis, acivism, and queer identiy
poltics, fierce pussy brought lesbian identty directy out into the streets in a mamner
characterzed by the urgency of those years.

FIERCE PUSSY COLLECTIVE

fierce pussy wheatpasted their posters and printed and distributed stickers and t-hits
throughout the ciy. Thei other projects induded re-designing the bathroom at the Gay and
Lesbian Center, a greeting card campaign directed against the pofides of Cardinal O'Connor
and Senator D'Amato, and moving bilboard/tnick. For Gay Pride 1991, fierce pussy re-
ramed sireets along the parade route after prominent lesbian heroines using stencied and
spray-painted street signs.

LAGAI - Queer Insurrection
htips/www.lagai.or

Viho We Are ° ‘

We are a small independent radical queer activist group. We started in 1983 as
Lesbians and Gays Against Intervention and have been through a bunch of name
changes, but kept our acronym, even though no one can figure out what it stands for
any more, We are so grassroots, you almost can't find the root. We get no grants
(wel, okay, we got two small grants from Resist about five years ago), have no staf,
don't lobby, don't try to control the gay movement. We work on local San
Francisco/Bay Area issues and national and international issues. We are the proud
‘publishers of UlraViolet, an every-other-monthly free newspaper.

What We Believe

We are antr-authoritarian, ant: miltarist, pro-feminist and anti-racist, and e demand
that queer issues never be put on the back bumer. We will accept nathing ess than
full civi ights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people, but we befieve
some rights are not worth fihting for. We do not think queers or straights should be
in the miltary of a seciety lie the u.. or probably any govemment, and v feel that
the queer Iberation position is 1o oppose marriage as the central insittion of
patriarchy, not to ry to get married ourseles.

Vihat e Do

We do poster campaigns and small drect actions, and partidpate in larger
demonstrations and organizing coalitions. We are active in protests against var, the
death penalty and polkce brutalty, in the lustice In Pelestine Coalition and the
strugge to save social security and workers' rights

0ne of our main goals
now is to destroy the
Human Rights
Campaign, because
I'm tired of sitting on
the back of the
bumper. It's not even
the back of the bus
anymore — i's the
back of the bumper.
The bitch on wheels
1 back.

- Sylvia Rivera

Street Transgender Action
Revolutionaries (STAR)

STAR was founded in New York
City in 1970 by Sylvia Rivera and
Marsha P, Johnson. Sylvia is &
well known Stonewall veteran,
and was one of the street queens
who helped esoalate Stonewall
from a routine police bust of a
queer bar to & revolutionary call
fro greater LGBY activism and
political organization. At the
time Sylvia wes & 20 yearold
strest, queen and Marsha was late 205. STAR originally stood for Street
Transvestite Action Revolutionaries, written STAR. The idea was to
oreate & living space for young queens on the street. They got an old
abandoned house on the lowor East side from the mafia and set up STAR.
House, which survived about 2 years. All the members lived oolloctively,
with Syivia and Marsha hustling to get money for food 80 that the younger
girls would not have to g out on the street.

Capitalism get you down?
Gender binaries make your teeth hurt?
Join Queer Fist!

Queer Fist, an anti-assimilationist, anti-capitalist,
anti-authoritarian street action group, came together to
provide direct action and a radical queer and trans-
identified voice at the Republican National Convention
(RNC) protests. We continue using creative methods. to
fight the right-wing agenda.

The Combahee River Collective

Black Feminist Organizing in the 70’s and 80’s

We are a collective of Black feminists who have been
meeting together since 1974...involved in the process of defining
and clarifying our politics, while...doing political work within our
own group and in coalition with other progressive organizations
and movements.... [W]e see Black feminism as the logical political
‘movement to combat the manifold and simultaneous oppressions
that all women of color face.

Our politics evolve from a healthy love for ourselves, our
sisters and our community which allows us to continue our
struggle and work. This focusing upon our own oppression is
embodied in the concept of identity politics... [T]he most
profound and potentially most radical politics come directly out of
our own identity...[t]o be recognized as human, levelly human, is
enough.... Although we are feminists and Lesbians, we feel
solidarity with progressive Black men and do not advocate the
fractionalization that white women who are separatists demand....
We struggle together with Black men against racism, while we also
struggle with Black men about sexism.... We are socialists because
we believe that work must be organized for the collective benefit
of those who do the work and create the products, and not for the
profit of the bosses.... We need to articulate the real class situation
of persons...for whom racial and sexual oppression are significant
determinants in their working/economic lives.... [OJur Black
women's style of talking/testifying in Black language about what
we have experienced has a resonance that is both cultural and
political.... No one before has ever examined the multilayered
texture of Black women's lives.... "Smart-ugly” crystallized the way
in which most of us had been forced to develop our intellects at
great cost to our "social lives.... We have a great deal of criticism
and loathing for what men have been socialized to be in this
society...[bJut we do not have the misguided notion that it is their
‘maleness, per se—-i.e., their biological maleness~-that makes them
what they are.

STONEWALL RIOTS

On Saturday morning, June 28, 1969, not long after 1:20
am., polvce raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in
Greenwich Village. A
number of factors
differentiated the raid
that took place on
June 28 from other
such raids on the
Stonewall Inn. In
general, the sixth
precinct tipped off
the management of
the Stonewall Inn
prior to a raid. In
addition, raids were
generally carried out
early enough in the
night to allow
business to return to
normal for the peak
hours of the night. At
approximately ~ 1:20
AM, much later than
the usual raid, eight
officers from the first
precinct, of which only one was in uniform, entered the
bar. Most of the patrons were able to escape being
arrested as the only people arrested “would be those
without IDs, those dressed in the clothes of the opposite
gender, and some or all of the employees”.

Details about how the riot started vary from story to story.
According to one account, a transgendered woman named
Sylvia Rivera threw a bottle at a police officer after being
prodded by his nightstick. Another account states that a
lesbian, being brought to a patrol car through the crowd

put up a struggle that encouraged the crowd to do the
same. Whatever the case may be, mélée broke out across
the crowd—which quickly overtook the police. Stunned, the
police retreated into the bar. Heterosexual folk singer Dave
van Ronk, who was walking through the area, was grabbed
by the police, pulled into the bar, and beaten. The crowd’s
attacks were unrelenting. Some tried to light the bar on fire.
Others used a parking meter as a battering ram to force the
police officers out. Word quickly spread of the riot and
many residents, as well as patrons of nearby bars, rushed
to the scene.

Throughout the night the police singled out many
effeminate men and often beat them. On the first night
alone 13 people were arrested and four police officers, as
well as an undetermined number of protesters, were
injured. It is known, however, that at least two rioters were
severely beaten by the police. Bottles and stones were
thrown by protesters who chanted “Gay Power!” The crowd,
estimated at over 2000, fought with over 400 police
officers.

The police sent additional forces in the form of the Tactical
Patrol Force, a riot-control squad originally trained to
counter anti-Vietnam War protesters. The tactical patrol
force arrived to disperse the crowd. However, they failed to
break up the crowd, who sprayed them with rocks and
other projectiles.

Eventually the scene quieted, but the crowd returned again
the next night. While less violent than the first night, the
crowd had the same energy as it had on the previous night.
Skirmishes between the rioters and the police ensued until
approximately 4:00 AM. The third day of rioting fell five
days after the raid on the Stonewall Inn. On that
Wednesday, 1,000 people congregated at the bar and again
caused extensive property damage.

&cg/ g/iflmo

@ oirad in the dgdtom
GAY SHAME is a Virus in the symm We are committed to a queer

extravaganza that brings direct action to astounding levels of theatricality. We
will not be satisfied with a commercialized gay identity that denies the intsinsic
links betrween queer struggle and challenging power. We seek nothing less than
2 new queer activism that foregrounds race, class, gender and sexuality, to
counter the self-serving “values” of gay consumesism and the increasingly
hypocitical left. We are dedicated to fightiog the rabid sssimilationist monster
with 2 devastating mobilization of queer brillance.

- We will exptess outrage through symbolic actions in order to inspire ourselves
to confront power dynamics and disseminate information.
- We will not osly critique targets like corporations, but we will also expose
inconsistencies within our social groups and so-called “communities”, in order
o grow more toward our radical deals. Whenever possible, we will use humor
and satire (o get ous poiats across and to critique ourselves.
- We will call out the greed and consumesism inhereat in mainstream gay
identity. We ace dedicated to fighting capitalism and it’s resulting inequalities

e will go beyond theorizing to make our actions not only fan but also
empowering.
- Our goalis to sexve as a catalyst to encourage people to take direct action and
civil isobedience fusthes.

- Our goal is to create a home for the cultusally homeless.

Assimilation is ecasure. We resist assimilation in allits forms.
- Fighting racism, classism, misogyny, heterosexism, transphobis, ableism and
al other hiecarchies s the central purpose of GAY SHAME, not an add-on. W
will create a space where radical queers can challenge these hierarchies.

The George Jackson Brigade

The George Jackson Brigade formed in the
crucible of prisoners’ rights organizing which came out
of the civil _gdghts movement a mass anti-war
protests, ¢ RXistence, it
claimed peries, and

one pri -ation.
Departm¢ng " ctions,
Investigal e Bureau of Ing

the group 3 l;?/same that
across the country’: sogy

allied with college
continue their class,
case of the Brigade,
challenged g ht
college s
aided whi

kin privilege. In the
center stage, queers
= pgated with
iastically

They e Brigade tal gainst a
backdrop e if estic activis ;. Chicano,
Native Al Py and white pri. nd armed

., Canada, South
America, Aftica, d and Europe. Al nted is
the FBI’s infiltration of women’s land and the lesbian
community (in pursuit of Katherine Powers and Susan
Saxe) and political abuse of the grand jury process.

“Settle your quarrels, come together, understand the reality of our
situation, understand that fascism is already here, that people are
already dying who could be saved, that generations more will die or live
poor butchered half-lives if you fail to act.” - George Jackson
queercore/homocore

Queercore is 2 cultural and social movement that began in the mid 1980's as an
ofishoot of punk. It is distinguished by a discontent with society in general and a
complete disavowal of the mainstream gay and lesbian commurity and what those.
involved beieve to be s oppressive agenda. Queercore expresses fselfn DIY (Do It
Yoursel) stle through zines, music, wriing, art and fim.

1D, created by G.B. Jones and Bruce LaBruce, is widely acknoviedged as being the
zine which launched the movement. At first the editors of 1D.s had chosen the
appelition *homocore” to describe the movement but replaced the word homo with
queer to better reflect the diversity of the scene as well as to disassociate
themseves completely from the confines of gay and lesbian orthodory. The first
issue was released in 1985, with a manifesto entitled ‘Don't Be Gay” published in the
fanzine Maximum RocknRollfollowing soon afte; inspirng, among many other z
Holy Ticianps,eted by Lay-bob, omocore by Tom Jenrings and Deke Nison,
Donna Dresch's Chainsaw, and Outpunk by Matt Wobensmith, these last two later
functioning as music labels. These zines, and the movement, are characterised by an
aternative to the seltimposed ghettoization of orthodox gays and lesbians; sexval
and gender diversiy in oppositon to the segregation practiced by the mainsiream
gay commurity; a disatisfacton with a consumerist culure, proposing a DIY ethos in
fts place in order to create a cultre of its own; and opposiion to oppressive
religious tenets and polticalrepression.

Influences vary for each musician, zine editor and fimmaker involved, but it is
doubtful that queercore would have come into existence without the atmosphere
surrounding the early punk years. Performers at that time either conspicuously
played with conceptions of gender, such as Wayne County (iow Jayne County) of
Wayne County & the Elctric Chairs, and Phranc from the aplly named Nervous
Gender or, like Pete Shelley of Buzzcocks, Darby Crash of The Germs, members of
The Screamers, The Leather Nun, Malarial and other bands, were not interested in
Hiding thei sexualty.

It was the confrontational atttude and shock tactics of the punk and industral
scenes that Queercore employed, rather than activism, or poltics, or the mainstream
approval and major label deals that gay and lesbian musicians of that time:courted,
since those involved in the queercore scene weren't seeking the acceptance of
society,be it homosexual or heterosexual, but rather to condemnit.

As vith purk, queercore culture existed outside of the mainstream so zines were
crucil to its development. Hundreds of zines formed an intercontinental network that
enabled queercore to spread and allow those in smaler, more repressive communiies
to particpate. The DIY attitude of punk was integral to queercore as wel. I the 1990s,
as the avallabilty of the intemet increased, many queercore zines, such as Noise
Queen could be found onine as well as in print. The queercore zine label Xerox
Revolutionaries run by Hark Revol, was available online and distributed zines from
2000 to 2005. Queercore forums and chatrooms, such as QueerPunks started up.
The Queer Zine Archive Project is an internet database of scanned queer zines that
continues 1o grow.

Al these developments alowed queercore to become a selfsustaining and self-
determined suboulture, expressing itsef through a variety of mediums independent
from the streight and gay estabiishment.

GAY LIBERATION FRONT

The Gay Liberation Front (GLF) was the name of a
number of Gay Liberation groups, the first of which was
formed in New York City in 1969, immediately after the
Stonewall riots.

Activists taking part in the GLF were mainly interested in
sexual liberation for all people, and were also intent on transforming
other aspects of society such as the nuclear family. Many supporters
of the GLF held the view that change would not come about unless
current social institutions were dismantled and rebuilt without
dofined sexual roles and definitions of homosexuality. Prominent
members of the GLF also opposed and addressed other social
inequalities between the years of 1969 to 1972 such as militarism,
racism, and sexism. Due to internal conflicts of interest within the
organization, the GLF officially ended its operations in 1972.

The Gay Liberation Front was initially formed by thirty-
seven men and women in light of the Stonewall Riots. The group’s
first demonstration in response to the riots was the organization of a
candlelight march, in which they demanded an end to homosexual
persecution. The GLF was not only dedicated to gay rights, but also
to the broader social ideals which dominated the 1960's, including
peace, equality and economic justice. Between 1969 and 1972, the
GLF was an influential force, and ultimately consisted of more than
80 independent chapters across the United States and abroad.

The GLI"s primary mandate was to oppose and fight against
those institutions in society which had historically oppressed and
demeaned gay individuals. Ideally, the GLF wanted to ensure that
gay individuals were treated with increased equality. In order to do
this, the GLF participated in and organized marches,
demonstrations, speeches, confrontations, meetings, books and films
in order to raise awareness of their cause and their struggle.

In 1970, the GLF represented itself as a movement “against
conformity to arbitrary standards, for an open society in which each
of us may choose his own way of life” The GLF, in addition to
focusing on gay rights, essentially criticized American values and
society in general, and became involved with other causes and social
movements, including the anti-war and civil rights movements, and
the fight to end racism and bigotry. Ideally, the GLF wanted to
establish an open socicty, in which all individuals could express
themselves freely, and it especially fought against machismo (the
notion that masculinity is superior, and thus has a right to
dominate), which the GLF felt oppressed all individuals in socisty —
both straight and gay.

partisan group of individual, united in anger and comamitted to direct
0 end the ATDS crisis. We mect with government officials, we distribute the
latestmedical information, we protest and demonstrate. We are not silent.

We are loud as we confront those who stand in the way of the fight
against AIDS. We've told Anthony Fauci, Directory of the National
Instinrte of Allergies and Infectious Discase (NIADID) and the person
responsible for overseeing the government’s AIDS clinical rials that many
of these trils are uncthical, fraudulent and misdirected. We told Mario
Cuomo that that inadequate funding for AIDS sersices is killing us and hat
it is unacceptable to balance the state budget with people’s lives. We took
on the pharmaceutical industry for attempting to make profits at the expense
of the lives of people with AIDS. We made AIDS an issue in 1992
Presidential clections and held President Clinton responsible for the
promise he made us a candidate, We are committed to protecting the lives
and well-being of people iving with AIDS.

We challenge anyone who, by their actions or inaction, hinders the fight
against AIDS. This includes:

+# Anyone responsible for inadequate fnding for AIDS research,
healtheare or housing for people with AIDS

+# Anyone who blocks the dissemination of life-saving information
about safer sex, clean needles, and other AIDS prevention methods.

# Anyone who encourages discrimination against people who are
lving with AIDS.

Compton’s Cafeteria Riot

In the streets of the Tenderloin (S.F.), at Turk and Taylor on a
hot August night in 1966, Gays rose up angry at the constant police
harassment of the drag-queens by police. It had to be the first ever
recorded violence by Gays against the police anywhere. For on that
evening when the SFPD police wagon drove up to make their usual
sweeps of the streets, Gays this time did not go willingly. It began
when the police came into a cafeterta, still located there at Turk and
Taylor, Compton's, to do their usual job of hassling the drag-queens,
hair faires, and hustlers sitting at the table. This was with the
permission of management, of course, but when the police grabbed
the arm of one of the transvestites, he threw his cup of coffce in the
cops face and with that cup, saucers and trays began flying around
the place directed at the police.

The police retreated outside until reinforcements arrived. The
Compton's management ordered the place closed and with that the
Gays began breaking out every window in the place. As they ran
ourside to escape the breaking glass, the police tried o grab them
and throw them into the police wagon, but they found this no easy
task because the Gays began hitting them below the belt and drag
queens smashing them in the face with their extremely heavy purscs.
A police car had every window broken, a newspaper shack outside
the cafeteria was burned to the ground and general havoc was raised
thar night in the Tenderloin. The next night drag queens, hair
fairies, conservative gays, and hustlers joined in a picket of the
cafeteria which would not allow drags back in again. It ended with
the newly installed plate glass windows being smashed up!

Out of Control
Lesbian Committee to Support Women Political Prisoners

Out of Control is a small, self-supporting committee of ten
women in the San Francisco Bay Area. We formed in 1986 to
organize resistance to the Lexington Control Unit for women.
‘This was a subterrancan, high-security prison in Kentucky that
used sensory deprivation, mind control methods, and small
group isolation in an attempt to "break the spirit” of the women
prisoners. Out of Control joined with a national grass roots
campaign of activists, churches, and various other human rights
organizations to expose the brutality of the Lexington Control
Unit. A lawsuit was brought against the federal prison by the
ACLU. After 18 months the prison that housed two women
political prisoners, one Puerto Rican Prisoner of War, and two
social prisoners was closed.

Out of Control has been working on behalf of the 25 women
political prisoners in the U.S. since that time. These women (five
are out lesbians) are in prison for various reasons from
opposing policies of the U.S. government through revolutionary
activities, participating in the Puerto Rican Independence
movement, Black liberation, American Indian Movement, to
anti-nuclear activities, etc. We work in the San Francisco Bay
Area Lesbian and Gay Communities, nationally, and
internationally to educate people about political prisoners in the
US. and about the horrendous conditions in U.S. prisons in
general. We have done support work for people with AIDS in
prison, and for battered women convicted of killing their
abusers.

Vanguard - began in 1965 with the Glide Memorial Church, a
radical congregation of the United Methodist Church. The church started open
houses for young street hustlers and drag queens where the kids were able
form a social/political group. Over the next five years, the group held dances,
drag balls and coffechouses, published a newsletter, and organized two direct-
action protests (Compton Cafeteria Picket and Street Sweep). In the early
19705, Vanguard and the Street Orphans, 2 group of young lesbians, combined
to form the San Francisco Gay Liberation Front.

it e 4

Lavender Panthers

The Lavender Panthers were a fierce team of gay vigilantes who took t the
streets of San Francisco (0 protect other queers against homophobic attacks in
the 1973. Formed by the Rev. Ray, a Pentecostal Evangelist and well known
queer who himself was once beaten severely outside his gay mission center, the.
Helping Hands Gay Community Service Center. The Panthers pairolled the
streets nightly with chains, billy clubs, whistes and cans of red spray paint (2
substitute for forbidden Mace). Their purpose, as the Rev. Ray candidly put it,
is to strike terror in the hearts of "all those young punks who have been beating
up my faggots.”

Besides the goal of halting homophobic attacks, the Lavender Panthers want to
refute the popular notion that all queers are sissies, cowards and pansies” who
will do nothing when attacked. All of the Panthers know judo, karate, Kung Fu

or plain old alley fighting. For gays without defensive siils, the Panthers held
training sessions with instruction from a judo brown belt and karate expert.