May 2000 Out in the.Mountains 7

 

Feinberg Stresses Solidarity At UVM Address

BY KERRY SLORA

Solidarity is the key to win-
ning our battle, according to
Leslie Feinberg, and the noted
transgender activist and author
misses few chances to explain

_ why.

Before delivering a speech
at UVM’s Ira Allen Chapelin
Burlington on April 5,
Feinberg met with 15 area
GLBT students and graduates
to have dinner and become
familiar with their thoughts
and concerns. At first quiet and
reserved, Feinberg listened

intently to stories about GLBT ‘

conferences and workshops,
involvement with Outright
Vermont, an organization
Feinberg was not familiar with,
and the struggle of creating
unity in our schools and
throughout the state.

When Feinberg did speak,
conversation touched on inclu-
sion of gendered people in
efforts like the Human Rights
Campaign and the financial
interests of groups that contin-
ue to exclude.

Those points came up later
in the evening, during the
address at UVM as Feinberg
discussed the need for solidari-
ty. “How are you gonna win
anything without all of us?”
Feinberg asked, reminding the
crowd that a group is always
more powerful than separate
movements, and that it is not a

winning strategy to exclude.

“Every single person in the
closet dies a slow, suffocating
death,” Feinberg said, envi-
sioning a place and time where
people want to come out on
their own and citing the need
for movement toward coalition
that allows everyone to fight
for each other when lives are
on the line.

medical crisis, is really a social
crisis that cannot be ignored.
Addressing the role of
politicians, such as Rudolf
Giuliani and David Duke,
Feinberg suggested that the
term “hate crimes” has not pro-
vided enough emphasis, and
though hate crimes bills are
passed, loopholes often render
them ineffective. With 15 mur~

”How are you gonna win

anything without all of

us?”-Leslie Feinberg

Feinberg touched on incon-
sistencies that have taken
power away from the queer
movement, including details as
overlooked as the male and
female boxes on the Census
2000 questionnaires and the
debate over the importance of
sexuality in the military.

The speech emphasized the
impact of gender roles and the
assumptions made about gen-
der expression in our society,
even from birth: “There’s a lot
of gender assumptions mitigat-
ed in those little pink and blue
caps!” Feinberg went on to say
that the surgical tailoring of
intersexual infants, deemed a

ders of gays, lesbians, and
trans people in New York City
alone during the last 20
months, Feinberg said many of
these “hate crimes” have been
“old Klan” style, and more
closely resemble “right-wing

lynchings”.

“People have united in the
past to push back the Klan...
maybe if these murders were
aptly named they would
receive the right attention,”
Feinberg told the audience.

Returning to the theme of
solidarity, Feinberg talked
about involvement with the
pro-choice movement at home
in Buffalo, NY, and how the
Stonewall Rebellion arose
from a similar sort of connec-
tion and convergence of
oppressed groups.

“When they closed ranks
together they made an impact,

they made history,” said
Feinberg.

Solidarity also means taking
on others’ struggles, and

Feinberg discussed the plight
of political prisoners such as
Leonard Pellitier and Mumia
Abu-Jumal. “We want Mumia
to fight shoulder to shoulder
with us... we will not let them
take him from us!” Feinberg
said, discussing involvement in
the Rainbow Flags for Mumia

movement and its planned
gathering at Madison Square
Gardens in New York on May
9.

Feinberg finished the lecture
with sentiments for slain youth
Matthew Shepard, citing his
murder as a “crucifixion” and
comparing the incident to
ancient crucifixions of rebel-
lious slaves on the road to
Rome. Feinberg said the mes-
sage inherent is the same:
“don’t you try to change any-
thing or this will happen to
you!”

Feinberg had a retort for
that, a quote from the African-
American poet June Jordan:
“We are the ones we’Ve been
waiting for.” V

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