Its Complicated: SATURDAY MARCH 24: DID IT(the story of Jerry Runin) author wil be at 4: at in a discussion of Jerry and the book .he wil be joined by Paul Krassner via skype

Some of you may know I was a founding member of Yippies. I was out in the left anti-war movement prior to the Stonewall Rebellion.  Homophobia was as virulent in the left as it was with the Right ..from the FBI to the Communist Party USA,  I, as some of you know do not like to be nostalgic ... or live in the past .. But I do think experience matters .. and the role of the elder to the youth is to be honest and not  romantic: to tell what we did and what I learned from those experiences, 

here is a little facebook chat that happened today Pat Thomas had asked me it I would join him and Paul Krassner  (who is one of my personal heroes) in the chat. I said yes. He said he would include me in the promotion of the event. But life went on after we agreed. the Parkland shootings took place and the KIDS stood up and shouted STOP IT! WE OPPOSE GUN VIOLENCE AND WANT A BAN ON ASSAULT WEAPONS, I decide to go to DC and support them instead of being at the book event.Here is a portion of the discussion that took place in a public stream on Facebook. I don't think you have to know all the references to understand the essence of the discussion

Pat Thomas Jim, please come and talk !

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Jim Fouratt To be honest Pat .. I gave considerable thought to what I would sat when I accepted your invitation to join you and Paul. After reading your book more closely. I realized that everything I said, that I thought was important to me that was critical about Jerry and Stew Albert and Judy Gumbo was left out of your book,,.. (absolutely your right !).. I realized that if I would talk about those things that it might rain on the Yippie spirit of the book.. . I asked myself what my role would be in the discussion. Since what I would say.wasn't in the book, so what. But it was only when the kids called for the demo against gun violence, that I decide to go to DC... I have been active in Gays Against Guns .. a direct action group that is inclusive of people who share our goals .. since it was formed right after the Pulse nightclub massacre.... We are marching in support of the kids and against gun violence and assault weapons. I trust it will be a fun reading

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Pat Thomas Jim, Judy Gumbo wasn’t left out of my book - not only was she interviewed in detail - she’s got a few pages that are specifically about her life story !

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Jim Fouratt Pat: i did not say Judy was left out .. far from it She is fully represented as I am not. If I was not clear .. let me be clear. I realized that everything I said to you,  that I thought was important to me that was critical about Jerry and Stew and Judy was left out of your book. I gave you a very long and detailed interview as one of the founders of YIPPIE. I talked of my experience of Jerry and Abbie and Stew and Judy.. I was critical of the role Jerry played and his homophobia. Stew and Judy were the same .. Jerry's use of speed/Ritalin etc. As to Judy ..she has been ruthless in her attacks on me. Her homophobia was worse than Jerry and Stew's and I feel has colored her reaction to me right up until current times. I choose to talk to you about this and other things I have learned from that time and centered my critique around Jerrym Stew and Judy ... I spoke of what  Emmet Grogan thought of them ..and of Abbie.. and then there was the breaking into my loft and the stealing of the Communication' Company's 'Gestetner machine.. It was a very long time ago but I have not forgotten. . I hope you will make clear that Dana Beal was NEVER a Yippie. Abbie and I and others never trusted him. In response Dana was a founding member of the ZIPPIES .. the politics of pot and cocaine dealing and its impact on the politics of Yippie and the spirit of Yippie.have yet to be talked about . . the relationship between Dana and Tom Forcade. The value sellout by Forcade, that implicated Wavey to Warner Brothers. I did describe to you what I saw in the park a the Convention in Miami,, I respect and like you Pat. I think you have a romantic idea of your cousin. It happens in families. Your book on many levels is important and the format is quite in the Yippie Spirit. But I am not in favor of the building of false myths .. I rather talk about the humanness of the people involved and their contradictions. We all tried to make a radical change.. My legacy I hope will be to tell my truth. Not to be romantic I owe that to the kids of today.