GAY ME

 

[VOL 1 No. 5

Marching  I

by Howard Russell

With the Lesbian/Gay Pride march
approaching once again, many people
are struggling with the issue of
whether to march or not. There are a
lot of good reasons not to march. We
all know them. The discrimination and
hatred is there and, it is very real and
very frightening. And yet, the things
which keep many of us from marching
are the very reasons that the march
must go on. The day that we have no
consequences to fear in marching is the
day when we should question the
necessity of matching - not before.

This year we will be marching
behind a banner asserting that there is
"No Turning Back." It is a phrase
which is very strong, very determined,
and yes, very confronting. It is a
statement which says: in the face of
Phyllis Shlafly-inspired homophobia, we
will march; in the face of high levels
of homophobic violence, we will march;
and in the face of a conservative/
fascist swing by our national
leadership, we will take to the streets
and we will declare our pride.

There are some among us who
would like lesbian/gay pride to be "less
Political." I would contend that politics
and pride are inextricable for us. No
stronger political statement can be made
In a system which has institutionalized
Our oppression than a declaration of
self-pride. Our oppression depends
upon our believing the lies that we
have been force-fed. We are too strong
to be oppressed if we refuse to take
part in our own oppre'ssion. Our
numbers are too great. Our ideas are
too _sound. And our goodness is too
pervasive.

. This will be the fourth year that I
Will have marched in Vermont’s
lesbian/say pride parade. My reasons
for marching are political, yes, but they

 

JUN 6 
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are also very personal. .

I grew up in Vermont believing
that I was the only gay person in this
whole area. Naive? Yes, but who
among us wasn't at one point? I think
that this feeling of complete isolation
was the hardest part of the oppression
for me. This is also one of my main

motivations to march. I want to do
everything I can to assure that lesbian
and gay youth growing up in Vermont
today will realize that they are not
alone. I want to make sure that there
will be pictures with articles about, and
statements by, lesbians and gay men
appearing in the media throughout
Vermont.

Each time I have marched, I have
been afraid - afraid of what could
happen. However, that fear for me is
lessening, because each time I've
marched I have felt my own sense of
personal power and pride take quantum
leaps forward. Marching makes me feel
stronger and when I feel stronger, 1 am
stronger.

So think about it. Some of you
can't march and your reasons are good.
Don't put yourself down for protecting
yourself. Think about coming to the
concert or movie or the lesbian/gay
pride interfaith service.

But if you are someone who's
waiting until it’s totally safe, you
probably never will march. Safety will
not be given to us; we must create it.
We create it by pushing the limits back
which have been imposed on us. Many
of you have pushed these limits in big
personal ways - by coming out to
family, friends, co-workers, and by
fully loving the person of your choice.
Marching on June l4th is one more big
way to challenge those limits. So go
for it!

June 1986 J