Yes crowds don’t change the views of men in power. They change the participants. I learned this organizing labor strikes. The work of preparing for a strike and voting for a strike is what built solidarity in the people who then became The Union. It was seeing each other that changed minds: our own. We became a “we.”
In a democracy this is what leads to people voting and taking political power for themselves.
Yes, I agree. That was one of the best things about the organizing I did with the Lesbian Avengers. It changed the way we saw ourselves, and each other.
I forgot to mention I was there at the March. I have been grateful to you and your friends for that day for the rest of my life. I knew what lesbian power was after that. The power of love and fun and freedom. The happiness I saw on the faces of the men on the sidewalk cheering on a “dyke march” and not insisting they be with us. I thought they finally got it.
And we saw each other. And what we could be. We went back home and started our own lesbian avengers chapters. We did a few powerful actions. It lasted about a year.
The lesbian avengers chapter in Santa Cruz was destroyed from within by a man who bullied the group into doing topless car washes and topless rollerblading demos.
There's now a 2nd black mayor of New York: Eric Adams.
oh, right. I'm stuck in 2018 when we left for good. I fixed it.
Yes crowds don’t change the views of men in power. They change the participants. I learned this organizing labor strikes. The work of preparing for a strike and voting for a strike is what built solidarity in the people who then became The Union. It was seeing each other that changed minds: our own. We became a “we.”
In a democracy this is what leads to people voting and taking political power for themselves.
Great post.
Yes, I agree. That was one of the best things about the organizing I did with the Lesbian Avengers. It changed the way we saw ourselves, and each other.
I forgot to mention I was there at the March. I have been grateful to you and your friends for that day for the rest of my life. I knew what lesbian power was after that. The power of love and fun and freedom. The happiness I saw on the faces of the men on the sidewalk cheering on a “dyke march” and not insisting they be with us. I thought they finally got it.
And we saw each other. And what we could be. We went back home and started our own lesbian avengers chapters. We did a few powerful actions. It lasted about a year.
The lesbian avengers chapter in Santa Cruz was destroyed from within by a man who bullied the group into doing topless car washes and topless rollerblading demos.
But it was a moment. Oh what a time it was.