I Took A Vacation And It Was Great

One of the best parts about keeping this blog is that it’s mine. This type of autonomy comes with a nice freedom, but is also involves a chunk of self-imposed pressure. There’s a slew of things I enjoy and stress out about keeping this thing running, and for the first time since I started keeping it in late 2007, I took a break. It was great! Some of the things that have happened since June:

I turned 32. One of the snarkiest jokes I’ve heard in a while comes from my buddy Amy Nicole Miller. We’re always talking about identity —  amidst jokes and earnest declarations, we learn from each other. I share anecdotes about gay male culture and she explains a lot about being Femme.

(Quick lessons for you: 1. Queer female households are ALWAYS surprised by the amount of noise dudes make when they pee and 2. Lots of  Femmes are in a unique position in queer culture because they can pass as straight but also get can get overlooked/talked-over in queer social settings )

Back to the snarkiest thing. One day Amy was joking about identifying as someone in their mid-twenties (she’s not) and was adamant that no one could question it because it was how she identifies. It was a smart, sassy take on the sacred shroud queers tend to place over their uniqueness and if I could remember the cracks that ensued after that back-handed indignance, you’d be jealous. Don’t get me wrong, I love people’s individuality. However, I also think the queer community could benefit from laughing at itself. If we did more of that, our differences in age, gender, styles and levels of awkwardness would be embraced and used as a basis to be CHARMING. I love charming people. I want to be around more of them.

What else? I saw “The Kids Are Alright,” which is a cute movie about a privileged family with seriously undercooked racial issues.  My girl Holly Hughes started writing something and inspired me to do the same. That will have its own post for SURE.

My best friend adopted a baby. A truly gorgeous, perfect gayby. I have a new life as the uncle I could never be with my own blood nephews, and I’m THRILLED. Of course, this has started all kinds of inner dialogue about what it means to be radical, and I think I’ve decided I’m on the right path. Questions I’ve asked and not yet answered: Is moving to the hills, the country or otherwise being off the “grid” radical? Can you hold your head up high as an environmentalist while still living in and consuming in a major city? Is gay marriage a worthy fight? If you don’t want to get gay married, should you still prioritize it? Are you in a position where your once-radical friends are now only concerned about gay marriage and baby poop? I take comfort in the fact that once-radical people have the option to settle down and safely make and raise innately progressive gaybies. As complacent as it seems to still-picketing queers, it’s an option that has only developed in the past 10 years, and that’s fucking amazing. And just to throw a little fire, the struggles that gay parents are undertaking on a personal level are every bit as vital to the struggle as protests and boycotts. Do you think a gayby isn’t going to get harassed in school? Do you think gay parents aren’t fighting for the right to be present AND comfortable at teacher meetings and block parties and birthday parties or otherwise casual scenarios? While some of us risk money or safety, others risk their pride and their relationships. They are all worth our respect.

Camp Trans had a major incident with violence and might not ever be the same. I’m still reading about it, but basically some trans women were bashed at the gates of Mich fest, and people in and out of trans circles are pointing fingers of blame and assimilationism. It’s a mess. This will also get its own post.

Dyke March Chicago moved to the South Side and reclaimed…a bike path? I might be ruffling the wrong feathers here, but to be sure, these are supportive ruffles. A  move to the South Side is vital to the essence of the Dyke March as a protest and vehicle for visibility, but we spent most of our walk on a bike path, away from residents. Full disclosure: I did not help plan the March, so you could say I should STFU. But I wasn’t the only person asking why we were so secluded from the neighborhood, and I hope to have more time on South Side streets next year. I’m sure the fine folks at DMC are already talking about it–The City of Chicago is marvelous but it’ll be damned before it doesn’t make you pay for a permit to sneeze in public, and charge you extra to cough into a microphone. Let’s keep this momentum going!

Hm. What else? OH YEAH. America is taking its frustration about the economy out on immigrants, and HOLY SHIT is it getting ugly. What is most horrifying to me is that this effort is all about South of the Border skin color–no one is targeting our many European immigrants. Arizona’s law is about skin color. The newest rumblings about the citizenship of children of undocumented immigrants? They are directly tied to statistics about the growing Latino population. The brave people behind The Dream Act and the basic concept of being out as undocumented is INSPIRING to say the least. This is one of the most radical things I’ve seen in my lifetime, and how this plays out will probably be one of the most charged and emotional processes in legislation reform. These are Latinos we’re talking about, after all.

So, I’m back from blogging vacay, but let’s be honest–this place don’t pay the bills. I MUST prioritize the things that provide me with stability. This blog provides me visibility and sanity, but I can’t be either of those if I’m homeless. Love y’all. If you miss these posts, follow my tweets! I’m FUNNY.

Facebook Thread About Facebook Activism

It started with me statusing this:

Erik Roldan

IF ONLY PEOPLE COULD SUDDENLY CARE ABOUT THE OIL SPILL THE WAY THEY SUDDENLY CARE ABOUT SOCCER!!! GOOOOAAAALLLLLLL

…and then went on to this:

PERSON #1

The oil spill is less entertaining to watch. I doubt people *don’t* care about it, but soccer is a nice distraction from real life. We need those from time to time. How depressing would Facebook be if every post was “OMG BP OIL SPILL! BOYCOTZ!”?

Erik Roldan

i know what you mean PERSON #1 but actually, if FB was filled with oil spill boycott news, that would feel really encouraging for me.

PERSON #2

can we get shirtless soccer guys to clean some birds on live tv?

PERSON #3

you overestimate how much most Americans care about the world cup.

PERSON #2

we could call it the “World Fuck Up” and have these guys kick giant hairballs into the gulf! (shirtless)

PERSON #1

It would be kind of irritating to me. Facebook activism is frustrating at best. Doing something in the real world is what would be encouraging for me.

PERSON # 4

I agree with PERSON #1, if all I saw were groups to boycott or bitch I would tune it out. What would you like to see happen in terms of activism or solutions?

Erik Roldan

well if the two of you agree, you can go talk about soccer on someone else’s fb wall. thx.

PERSON #5

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/03/03/80-the-idea-of-soccer/

PERSON #1

Erik, I’m just not sure why Facebook should be purely a venting ground for political and social causes. Assuming people doin’t give a crap about what’s going on, because they’re talking about soccer, or baseball, or whatever the cool band is at the moment doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t care. Maybe they’re using better avenues to prove they care…. like donating time and/or money to the clean up effort? At least that’s what I’m doing.

Erik Roldan

i think you can correlate someone’s general interests and activities with what they are posting on fb. i’m all for positive energy in the cyber realm but if there is a high volume of updates on soccer, and hardly any when the government realizes it can’t stop the oil from gushing, it worries me. that’s my interest and activity, and i’ll try to remind people to redirect their energy to something worthwhile if i can.

PERSON #1

I think I disagree with that. Personally, I think I’m a very socially conscious person, as are most of my friends. I just don’t think waving the “look what I’m doing” flag on the internet is worth it. I know that my politics tend to be way to the left of a lot of people, so I keep it personal. No need to advertise it on Facebook, because ultimately, the masses don’t care and just scroll past it. It just seems like real life action is way better than Facebook activism.

Erik Roldan

well you can disagree all you want PERSON #1, but outness is the bedrock of activisim and if you don’t tell anyone about your efforts, no one can know to join you. that concludes this facebook faceoff about how to best be out about your activism. i reserve the right to have the last word, goodbye.

PERSON #2

I had similar feelings regarding the earthquake in Haiti — how so many rallied behind online fundraising efforts to text and donate money for the cause. I wouldn’t necessarily say that spending capital to fix systemic problems is the best route either. I am, however, so happy that feminists taught me there are many routes to change and progress … See Moreand none are more ‘right’ or ‘better’. Let’s donate what money or time we can, and post on facebook, and clean birds, and stop buying gas at BP, and teach each other about histories and experiences, and rally in the streets, and be out and support each other.

==================================

It then finally concludes with me catching a completely different status from my friend Ian: Thinks american girl should have an oil spill Kelly doll and give portions to save the wildlife/ and have it come with a 6 oz. Oil packet and seagull.

A Gay Officer At War

*Portraits of gay men and lesbians in the armed services, faces hidden, were taken by Jeff Sheng for his book, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

I can’t really put into words the inspiration displayed by this anonymous, gay armed services veteran keeping an online journal. Ultimately, it’s stories like these that put my cushy life into perspective and shed light on the privelage it is to “make art” or “complain.” Here is the description, and some quotes below it. Read RD’s journal entries here.

RD is the pseudonym of a 10-year armed services veteran recently returned from Afghanistan.  A psychologist and long-serving veteran, this officer had to deal with both the traumas of the troops in front of him, and the psychic wound of his own situation: the risk that if he spoke frankly about his life to any colleague, he could find himself ejected from the war and the army. 

“Moral laws do not force people to lie or pretend to be something they are not (a kind of lie itself). Even worse this law creates barriers between people and mandates a certain level of isolation and loneliness. It will drive me from the military. It is the main reason I am leaving the service when I return from Afghanistan. Despite a severe shortage of psychologists and two wars the military will lose me.”

“…the religious fundamentalists in Afghanistan are strikingly similar to religious fundamentalists in America – who are also trying to force their literal interpretation of Holy Scripture onto everyone else through laws. While I served in Afghanistan the American “cultural war” exploded with California’s Proposition 8 and the pending discharge of an 18-year decorated combat pilot under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”.

“One soldier stated the only way Command would ever realize how overstretched his men are would be if he started killing people. He then stated he was so angry he would kill his Commander and no one could stop him.”

Dyke March 2009 To Be Held in Pilsen Again!

From the press release, more on this later:

Altering the 2008 decision to hold the Chicago Dyke* March (CDM) in a different neighborhood every summer, organizers announced that the it will remain in each new location for two consecutive years. Pilsen, a predominantly Mexican and immigrant community will host Dyke March for a second time this June. The decision to stay in one neighborhood for two years is in part a recognition of the importance of engaging deeply with every community that hosts Dyke March. The intention is to do significant solidarity and education work, so that the march takes place with the full participation of neighborhood residents and organizations, as well as queer people from all across the city who identify with the mission. With limited resources and funding to do this work, organizers believe that community outreach and education efforts will have a more significant impact by spending two years in one location.

Bound to Struggle

Bound to Struggle is a Chicago-based zine founded by Simon Strikeback of Actor Slash Model. It is attempting to be a place ” where kink and radical politics meet.” Volume 3 was just released and is available for purchase for $5 dollars. This zine is classicly printed and distributed via regular mail, and accepts submissions for content. The myspace asks “Does radical politics inform how you do kink? Has kink taught you ways to be a better activist or political thinker? Can the non-physical mechanics of kink (notions of consent, etc.) effect the nitty-gritty mechanics of an action bloc or campaign fight? Do conscientious ideas of environmentalism, anti-sexism, racism, able-ism, classism, gender-ism, etc. figure into the negotiating process of your scenes or relationships? How do you talk about power? Where do these ideas meet action and how do they affect our lives?” Head on over, the table of contents is listed in the blog section of the myspace.

OMFG

Go Vote

VOTE EARLY

Fred Tomaselli, Untitled, 2008, image from Art Fag City

Seriously, I went to vote and there was a line. A long one. And that’s the report from everyone I know who has gone to vote. Don’t wait until election day, as you might have to wait a discouraging amount of time. DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU. Also, there are many judges and representatives that are up for election/retention. For a lefty, pro-gay take on who to vote for, go to TPR fan jendoespolitics for a printable list of endorsements that you can take with you! Find out where to vote early in Chicago at chicagoelections.com.