ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE – September 1-4
This weekend was the Midwest Regional RNC Consulta. I won’t go into a lot of detail (partly because a lot is internal discussion, in the planning stages, or somewhat secret), but many good things came out of the discussions. In someways, large projects like the WTO protests in Seattle in 1999 and the upcoming RNC convention protests in Minneapolis are more about creating the structures necessary to protest these things, than to actually protest them.
QUEERS BASH BACK!
Possibly the most promising and exciting thing emerging is Bash Back! Bash Back! has taken many forms the past few years, but only just recently was it formally organized. The first consulta was last weekend, April 5, in Chicago. The main goal is to create an organizing structure for radical queer- and transfolk (and their allies) to resist and work towards shutting down the DNC and RNC this summer. From the conversations we had this weekend, it sounds like a lot of awesome things are being planned, from subversive work at the corporate Pride Fests in Madison, Milwaukee, and Chicago (mainly the commodification by sexist and heterosexist corporations and organizations–mainly Stonewall Democrats and Log Cabin Republicans and the financial exclusion of poorer queer, trans, lgbt and “- of color” communities), to large-scale, radical direct action at the RNC.
The first show of the strength and potential of Bash Back! since the Chicago convergence can be seen in the Take Back the Night Rally. Participants in the Midwest Regional Consulta formed a pink bloc to join the planned Take Back the Night events. Unfortunately, we missed the group at the Capitol, but caught up with them on Langdon. The TBTN people did a fabulous job organizing, and my comments should in no way be seen as a criticism of what they did. The TBTN organizers obtained a permit to march on the sidewalks, and when we met up with them, that’s where they were. However, the pink bloc members thought that to assert and stand up for our rights as LGBTQQetc, and oppose heteronormality, we would take the streets without permission or permit. After all, it only makes sense to chant “WHOSE STREETS? OUR STREETS!” when you take complete control of traffic lanes, on your own terms. We finally joined the TBTN march, and all of us together marched down the middle of Langdon. I can’t speak for the others, and only have heard comments from other RNC participants, but for me at least it was incredibly empowering. We took over the street, and there was nothing police or anyone else could do about it!
That isn’t to say that there weren’t problems with it. We made some mistakes, we did some things which made others feel uncomfortable, and we didn’t organize or educate as well as we could have. Those things have been brought up internally, and I won’t waste much more space here with an itemization of problems.
RNC
The upcoming Republican National Convention is really exciting for us. First, we’ve been planning this for some time, and it’s really, really tight. The Welcoming Committee has done a terrific job, and deserve all the credit in the world for their work so far. Much care has been taken to separate actions by time OR location, to minimize spill-over effects from actions (mainly, police using direct actions to repress peaceful protest). So, actions are divided into red, yellow, and green zones (or fluffy, furry and funky), and there are three tiers of action allotted, depending on how each progresses. The intent is to completely shut down the RNC, and prevent the corronation of McCain as King of the Republican Party. It would force the Party to select McCain without the theatrical participation of the delegates.
Most importantly, though, are the institutions that will be created. Seattle gave us IndyMedia and other projects and tools, like affinity organization, and history will tell us what the RNC’s contribution to anti-authoritarian work will be. But looking ahead 4 1/2 months, the future is so promising, so hopeful, that we cannot lose.
Another world is possible, and that world begins September 1.
See you in the streets of Minneapolis!
From Behind the Orange Curtain 