I don't understand how viewing the AIDS Quilt encouraged you /not/ to be an activist. I'd really like to hear more about that, I suppose, because I just can't wrap my mind around it. The AIDS Quilt is a big piece of activism, and every single person who made a panel, and really, every single person whose life inspired a panel are activists.
Hmm, perhaps I should make a distiction between passive activism, and active activism. A lot of the reason I gave up the college activism is that it really seemed pointless after the quilt. I was burned out when the quilt left. I stoped being one of the shouters, one of the demonstrators. If someone wanted me to hold a petition, that was one thing, but my days of standing in front of Millet Hall performing "Live Gay Sex Acts!" was over.
I guess the most succint way of describing this was the original 3 fold mission of Lambda. Resources, Advocacy, and Support. I ended up turning into Support and Resources after the experience, sine I felt I could do more good by helping those who a) were just coming out, b) people who just had questions about sexual issues in general, and c) those who needed the ubiquitous condoms and dental dams we were famous for passing out.
I think wanting to be a good model /is/ activism, and it is applaudable. Being a good person /is/ important. However, being a good person who is also openly queer shows people who may have snap-judgments of queer people that their prejudices aren't necessarily true.
I'm really hoping that I didn't insinuate that last part. What I was trying to say is that being gay is just another part of me, and I'd rather not just be "the gay man". This comes after several arguements with my family, who don't see James the college student, or James the intellectual; all they see is James the faggot.
But I also want my equal rights. I will still write letters, and offer testimony, and make phone calls, and march, and get in my representatives faces, because I /am/ a good person, and I /am/ a queer person, and I have rights.
My policy as it stands, is to answer questions when they are asked, and after marching in PRIDE, I no longer fear doing that, since I knw that even if I don't feel like screaming at the bastards with signs, someone else will. (And yes, that sounds a lot worse than how I meant to phrase that.) My problem with debating is that I'm too emotionally attached to the issue to debate rationally. Not that it matters, since the hardcore haters don't argue rationally either. So, I'm sorry for hitting a nerve with you, and I'm hoping that I have explained myself better now.
Re:
Hmm, perhaps I should make a distiction between passive activism, and active activism. A lot of the reason I gave up the college activism is that it really seemed pointless after the quilt. I was burned out when the quilt left. I stoped being one of the shouters, one of the demonstrators. If someone wanted me to hold a petition, that was one thing, but my days of standing in front of Millet Hall performing "Live Gay Sex Acts!" was over.
I guess the most succint way of describing this was the original 3 fold mission of Lambda. Resources, Advocacy, and Support. I ended up turning into Support and Resources after the experience, sine I felt I could do more good by helping those who a) were just coming out, b) people who just had questions about sexual issues in general, and c) those who needed the ubiquitous condoms and dental dams we were famous for passing out.
I think wanting to be a good model /is/ activism, and it is applaudable. Being a good person /is/ important. However, being a good person who is also openly queer shows people who may have snap-judgments of queer people that their prejudices aren't necessarily true.
I'm really hoping that I didn't insinuate that last part. What I was trying to say is that being gay is just another part of me, and I'd rather not just be "the gay man". This comes after several arguements with my family, who don't see James the college student, or James the intellectual; all they see is James the faggot.
But I also want my equal rights. I will still write letters, and offer testimony, and make phone calls, and march, and get in my representatives faces, because I /am/ a good person, and I /am/ a queer person, and I have rights.
My policy as it stands, is to answer questions when they are asked, and after marching in PRIDE, I no longer fear doing that, since I knw that even if I don't feel like screaming at the bastards with signs, someone else will. (And yes, that sounds a lot worse than how I meant to phrase that.) My problem with debating is that I'm too emotionally attached to the issue to debate rationally. Not that it matters, since the hardcore haters don't argue rationally either.
So, I'm sorry for hitting a nerve with you, and I'm hoping that I have explained myself better now.