Denver Principles. Why We Fight by Vito Russo. Welcome to New York -- by Avram Finkelstein. We are here to join with millions of lesbians and gays to salute our potential and to signify your solidarity. We are here to remember the Stonewall uprising which breathed life into the struggle for our rights and will propel us well into the next century. We are here to celebrate the spirit of rebellion that sent beaten and harassed bull dykes and drag queens out into the night on a three-day rampage of resistance. We are here to celebrate the fact that lesbians and gays are freedom fighters - and that we have committed ourselves to justice time and time again. We are funny and smart and talented and queer. These are reasons for great pride. We are here to celebrate great pride in the fact that lesbians and gays have made a difference in our own lives by being out and outspoken, committed to justice and sensitive to the sufferings of others.
But the celebration will end tomorrow. It will end and you will go back home with your memories of your time in New York. 200,000 dead. By Any Means Necessary -- by Kiki Mason. DIVA TV Netcast ADVISORY: Graphic pictures, language Manifesto Destiny _"I am someone with AIDS and I want to live by any means necessary" _by Kiki Mason POZ Magazine June-July, 1996 After reading Primary Colors, I have been inspired to cop to something that I wrote anonymously two years ago. The idea of such a large extravaganza while so many were suffering struck me personally as a bit tasteless, and you know how I am about good taste. "I am someone with AIDS and I want to live by any means necessary.
Fifty thousand of these brochures were handed out during that week, which turned out to be an even bigger nightmare than I had expected. What I wrote probably seems quite extreme and offensive to many people, or ungrateful and wrong to those who are trying to help us. Well, the audience and Phil went crazy. A guy named James Wentzy DIVA TV asked me if he could make a short film out of my manifesto. Which leads me back to us as people with AIDS. My doctor, Joe Sonnabend, came over. Www.qrd.org/qrd/misc/text/queers.read.this. 1 QUEERS READ THIS A leaflet distributed at pride march in NY Published anonymously by Queers June, 1990 How can I tell you. How can I convince you, brother, sister that your life is in danger: That everyday you wake up alive, relatively happy, and a functioning human being, you are committing a rebellious act.
You as an alive and functioning queer are a revolutionary. There is nothing on this planet that validates, protects or encourages your existence. It is a miracle you are standing here reading these words. You should by all rights be dead. Internet History Sourcebooks Project. Michael Swift: "Gay Revolutionary" From Gay Community News, Feb. 15-21, 1987 (reprinted from The Congressional Record, with preface restored) In 1987, Michael Swift was asked to contribute an editorial piece to GCN, an important gay community magazine, although well to the left of most American gay and lesbian opinion.
A decade later this text, printed in the Congressional Record is repeatedly cited, apparently verbatim, by the religious right as evidence of the "Gay Agenda". The video Gay Rights, Special Rights, put out by Lou Sheldon's Traditional Values Coalition cites it with ominous music and picture of children. But when the religious rights cites this text, they always omit, as does the Congressional record, the vital first line, which sets the context for the piece. In other words, every other version of this found on the net is part of the radical right's great lie about gay people.
Women, you cry for freedom. All laws banning homosexual activity will be revoked.