There’s a Shitstorm a Brewin’ in Austin, Texas.
That liberal bastion in a big, fat (and by fat I mean politically obese), red state is going through some growing pains when it comes to their LGBTQI citizens and this year’s pride.
Gay Pride Parade in Austin Texas, 2009 - photo by Tiger Boy Angel
Here’s the deal: This year, as in recent years past, Austin’s “official” Pride celebrations are being run by the Austin Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (AGLCC). Unlike year’s past there’s a new entity which is doing god-knows-what called the Austin Gay and Lesbian Pride Foundation (AGLPF).
Funnily enough the boards of the two organizations look mighty similar. You can see where this is going, right? Sometimes the AGLCC’s version of Pride is inclusive and lovely – as it was last year – and sometimes it feels a little… vampiric. And not the sparkly Twilight kind of vampires who ignore their personal hygiene just enough to be cute. Vampiric as in the current manifestation of the AGLCC is obsessed with something called “The Gay Dollar”. Oh, and gay meaning gay and lesbian, not bi, not trans, not queer, not intersex.
Go to the AGLCC’s website and see images well-heeled Gs and Ls lounging around BoConcept. You would be forgiven for thinking all Austin queers are wealthy people who have a soft spot for luxury furniture. As is made painfully clear by many in the AGLCC they couldn’t give a shit about “bisexuals and transvestites.” Add to this, egregious and petty abuses of power and strikingly conservative views from the leadership of AGLCC over the past year. The org wants to make a “family-friendly” Pride as in years past, but the idea of family is conventional and feels like a cover to disclude any whose gender manifestation is anything but normative.
Keep It in Good Taste
Marc Felion, Christeene, Fausto Fernos
At a meeting for the Pride march and festival participants were told to “keep it in good taste”. That’s classy, not Qlassy.
And now, in response a counter-group has arisen, more concept than organization, called QueerBomb. The ethos of QueerBomb, in their own words:
“QueerBomb is a flash Force assembly of LGBTQIA individuals within the community who have found the current strategy and structure of Austin Pride to be non-inclusive, capitalist, heteronormative, safe and unchallenging.QueerBomb has been assembled with boisterous urgency in organizing a counter ‘Pride’ procession that carries a strong Queer message to the streets of Downtown Austin reclaiming the radical, carnal and transgressive lineage of our ever changing community, while celebrating every facet and form of our people as a unique and vibrant whole.”
QueerBomb, unlike the AGLCC has no head or endless committees. All the events held by QueerBomb are free for everyone – gawkers, nonproftis, participants. It’s people – excited that they’re queer! It’s even questionable if QueerBomb has a permit to march at this point, but march they will! Chanting Dadaist phrases and singing songs by Erasure, or The Itsy Bitsy Spider, or whatever! The goal is to reach for radical inclusivity by making the events accessible – anyone can participate.
In many ways, those of you from bigger cities would be shocked at what I’m saying – even the official Austin Pride in comparison to the big city Prides elsewhere might seem provincial and grassroots-y. But to this scrappy town earnestness and community-building still matter a whole hell of a lot more to people than corporate sponsorship and tracking how GL folks spend their disposable incomes. At least in this town – minds and bodies are split this year.
Here’s a links roundup so you can do a little digging yourself:
- Queerbomb
- Austin Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
- Austin Pride
- The Austin Chronicle Pride Guide by Kate Messer
Greetings from Austin, Texas!
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5 Comments
Comments
Am I mistaken or was the “theme” for 2009 Pride Parade was “peace”?
I mightily perturbed by the “keep it in good taste” request, but I have to point out that Pride celebrations are very expensive and cannot happen without lots of money. Criticizing the business elements is pointless, you cannot have a big celebration without business sponsorship unless a miracel occurs and you get the State or City to pay for port-a-potties, security,electricity, staging, lights, street closures, police and fire presence and all the behind the scenes stuff that is needed.
I challenge the people who are very rightly pissed about the seeming lack of inclusion to do two things:
1. Attend the event and jump into the parade in whatever fabulous authentic version of themselves must manifest as an act of civil disobedience.
2. Join the planning organization a let your voices be heard where they matter – at the point where decisions are made! I have found that very few planning groups are actually as exclusive as many people think they are. Most are HUNGRY for any enthusiastic participation, anyone who will take real responsibility for executing ideas. Organizations cannot know how to respond to your desires and needs if you do not participate at the point of idea generation.
Curtis: I totes LOVE your suggestion to jump into the parade. How did you get access to my fantasies re: guerrilla protest? You’re a gem for that. And I also agree with number two as well, however in this specific case there are several members of the board who have been vocal (in word and action) regarding the unimportance of Bs, Ts, Is and Qs here. Every event has a cost – The “Mind your Ts and Qs” by Ricky Hill gets to this point – putting costs at fifteen bucks to attend a meeting is absurd. It takes a special kind of queer to run into that fire, but I agree that there should be a sea change (from within). Also worth noting that the incommensurate protest is a form of challenging and changing. So maybe a change from outside would do the Austin body good too! XO
Let’s not forget: The Stonewall Riots were started by Drag Queens _of_ _color_ in NYC who got so sick and tired of being, “polite,” and taking all of the abuse heaped on them, that the finally stood up for themselves and fough back.
If it weren’t for those trans-folk in 1969, those Gay-A-Listers in Austin would all be in sham-hetero-marriages, sneaking off for sex in public restrooms. Just like all of the “family-friendly” gays had to back before 1969.
@Curtis…. normally I would wholeheartedly agree with your statement about getting involved… but in this case, several board members of the organization were either asked to step down or forcibly removed when they did not agree with changes being made between the 2009 and 2010 celebrations. Additionally, other organizations attempted to get involved in the planning stages and were told that their assistance was not needed.
99% of the time, the people complaining about these kinds of things are just sitting on the sidelines throwing tomatoes at those willing to take responsibility. It just wasn’t the case this time.