TRUTH MATTERS when we talk about Stonewall, Thoughs on the opening of the New York Public Library STONEWALL REBELLION Exhibition

STONEWALL: PLEASE READ: THE TRUTH IS SOMETIMES SHOCKING.     

I was shocked to see the word "RIOT" used continually in the NYPL STONEWALL/50 exhibition handout. As someone who was actually standing on Christopher street in front of the mafia bar known as the Stonewall inn from 10:15 until the streets had been reopened to traffic at 1:15. I know it was not a riot. That is when 6 gay men and I: included were Mark Seigal, Marty Robinson, and Michael Brown gathered together at the junction of where  Waverly meets Waverly.

We were excited by the night's activities and wanted to continue what had been released.  We attempted to conspire together to figure out how to continue the energy released that first night.

We succeeded!

No one who was actually present inside or outside the bar can justify calling what happened a "riot." Under no known definition of 'riot" does the spontaneous release of oppression each of us experienced that might meet the definition of "riot." There was no crowd out of control, no looting, no hospital admissions, no fire department report... What did happen  was each of us present on the street experienced at a particular flashpoint the spark of freedom and liberation as we became visible to each other and threw off the internalized homophobia and for once collectively challenged the external homophobia and the policing that the mob, the state, and the church had imposed on each of .us.

To try to place a straight 60's template on what happened diminishes who was there and how we as gay men acted that first night. When David Scott shares his first-hand, eye-witness experience. He says: it seemed more like a collective celebration.

It troubles me deeply that an institution like the New York Public Library which is known around the world as an esteemed research center would use language that misrepresents the reality of what happened. I would have thought they would have known better.  As to the confabulators who say different, are simply not telling the truth.

There were no bricks thrown,, No Slyvia Rivera, no ripping of parking meters out of the cement (really dear!) no setting fire to the building, Yes Marsha, who was my friend, did show up around 12: 15. Marsha hung out on the sidelines.    

Whatever happened to the phrase "The truth will set you free"?  

The second night was much more militant according to a revised memory by Lucian K. Truscott IV a straight writer (and a long time friend)...but again the events of the second did not meet the definition of riot.

I am saddened that people would rather believe false myth than the truly radical event that took place that actually changed history for homosexuals male and female of all gender expression everywhere.

What happened that first night seeded the desire for visibility, equality, and acceptance of same-sex desire and erotic expression. Wanting to be seen as expressing emotion, desire, and personhood as a natural part of human behavior.

Language matters to me ...and I hope to you.  What took place the first night of the Stonewall rebellion changed history and gave a new definition to being a gay man or a lesbian of any gender expression.

I use the word rebellion because it best represents to me what actually did happen.  Rebellion,  in the sense of rebellion against internalized homophobia and the external homophobia, imposed and manipulated by State and Church.

Yes, some choose to use the word "uprising.” But an uprising by definition involves pre-planning.  Please, trust me! It was spontaneous that first night ..anyone who tries to take credit is lying.

As to the NYPL opening reception, it was full of memory for me. Both Diana Davies photos were taken when she was an active member of GLF and Mattacine member Kay Tobin, lover and life partner to the late Barbara Gittings. Kay one of the people (including Gittings and Frank Kameny)  who took under their wings and mentored the 8 GLF men and 1 woman dissatisfied with the GLF meeting process and  left, They were mentored in single-issue politics in sharp contrast to the GLF politics of "no one is truly free until all oppressed people are free.

But the most iconic image that best expresses the true meaning of the STONEWALL/REBELLION  was missing. It is the recruitment poster published by the COME OUT cell of the Gay Liberation Front in the Fall of 1969. A photo was taken by Peter Hujar on the street in what is now called Soho of lesbians and gay men running in the street smiling. Out and inviting others to join them in changing the world. Not afraid! Although they had no protection in the workplace nor on the streets or in their homes.  …(oh, that is me in the striped pants!)

Please, now take a breath. What I have said may be disrupted to the message you might have heard. I have no reason to lie. I have not changed my story in 50 years.

Jim Fouratt

Songs to Aging Children Come - Carol Lipnik

Carol Lipnik and Rachelle Garniez did a magic-filled night of music covering some lesser know Joni Mitchel and Laura Nyro songs.

Last Sunday at Pangia to an audience that contain the creative support group for downtown artist: including Nicky Paradiso, Barbara Maier Gustern, John Kelly, David Cale, Paul Soileau (just moved back after a residency Austin) aka Christeene, Joseph Keckler , Penny Arcade, Mike Thorn (legendary English music producer now resident in NYC with his wife and soul partner Layla imagine 40 years together) , just to name a few.. it was an unforgettable night of music magic, Pangia has survived this terrible period of gentrification somehow thanks to Stephen and Arnaldo, I go there regularly to listen and discover,

Carol and Rachelle opened the show with this video of an obscure Joni song that they just released as a single and is as you can see on youtube, Yes it was a night to remember,

(also give a youtube listen to the songs that each artist has written and sung in other performances. Carol does a cover of Heaver that I adore .. the talking heads song)

On February 20th 1939, 20,000 Amercian fachists gathered in Madison Square Garden for an ralley to identify  themselves as true American Patriots. (note the language ). This shocking footage put together by Marshal Curry, released by Field of Vision published by the Artlantic Monthly looks like a Tump ralley except for the flags and the uniforms. 
At the same time in Germany Hitler was building his 6th concebtratiobn camp.

Watch it.Share it   . . . Can it happen here again?

https://fieldofvision.org/a-night-at-the-garden

Michelle and Malia Obama and Marriage Equality in "Becoming" her memoir ,,,OMQ

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© Getty Images

Former first lady Michelle Obama said she and her daughter snuck out of the White House to celebrate the Supreme Court's 2015 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in the U.S.

“We made our way down a marble staircase and over red carpets, around the busts of George Washington and Benjamin Franklin and past the kitchen until suddenly we were outdoors,” Obama recalls in her new book, “Becoming." 

“Malia and I just busted past the agents on duty, neither one of us making eye contact ... The humid summer air hit our faces. I could see fireflies blinking on the lawn. And there it was, the hum of the public, people whooping and celebrating outside the iron gates,” Obama continued.

The former first lady added that it took Malia, then 16, and her just 10 minutes to exit the White House. 

"But we’d done it. We were outside, standing on a patch of lawn off to one side, out of sight of the public but with a beautiful, close-up view of the White House, lit up in pride," she said. Following the decision, the White House was lit up in rainbow colors symbolizing the LGBT pride flag.

"Malia and I leaned into each other, happy to have found our way there.”

The Supreme Court delivered a monumental ruling on June 26, 2015, legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide. The decision drew thousands of people to gather outside the White House to celebrate. 

Obama recalled on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show" on Thursday that she heard so much about the celebration at the time, "and I thought, ‘I want to be in that.’ ”

The former first lady is currently promoting her new book, "Becoming," on a 10-city book tour.

Obama touches on a variety of subjects in the book, including President Trump's attacks against former President Obama.

ESSENTIAL READ

If you listen closely you will hear the screams inside the White House infected with fear and rage, Listen even more closely you will hear the crumbling ot the infra-structure of the Trump administration. Don't be distracted by the desperate rage-filled tweets by a President who increasingly has lost touch with reality as he tweets trying to not admit he is standing in quicksand and sinking fast, I just hope the same reporters, who have not been intimidated by his attacks  on them both professionally and personally,  have gotten the goods on the robotic-like Vice President who has proven in public life to be both a homophobe and a religious nut who has turned his back on the role modeling of his reputed hero Jesus of Nazareth. 

Yes this is Kelly Ann Conway's husband ....imagine THE PILLOW TALK

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION A ‘SHITSHOW IN A DUMPSTER FIRE,’ SAYS GEORGE CONWAY ABOUT TURNING DOWN JUSTICE DEPARTMENT APPOINTMENT

BY GREG PRICE ON 11/16/18 AT 11:05 AM

Donald Trump Rips George Conway as 'Mr. Kellyanne Conway': 'He's Just Trying to Get Publicity for Himself

U.S.DONALD TRUMP

Attorney George Conway described the Trump administration as a “shitshow in a dumpster fire” as a reason for why he did not take a post in the Justice Department last year and explained why he decided to form a group of conservative lawyers to defend the constitution.

Conway, who is married to White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, spoke to Yahoo News podcast Skullduggery in an episode released Friday to discuss the recently announced group Checks and Balances, why conservatives have looked the other way with some of President Donald Trump’s public statements and why he does not “feel comfortable being a Republican anymore.”

Conway also went into the process of almost joining the Justice Department, as well as some of Trump’s perceived missteps involving the Russia investigation, as reasons for stepping aside from a possible job.

"The administration is like a shitshow in a dumpster fire," Conway said. "And then you got the [James] Comey firing. And then you have him going on TV saying I had Russia on my mind…I'm going to be in the middle of a department he's at war with. Why would anybody want to do this?"

Earlier in the episode, Conway says his new group was not formed solely due to Trump but admitted to the hosts that Checks and Balances might not have been formed had the current president not reached the White House.

“We don’t specifically mention, use the T-word in our mission statement. It’s really not about any single individual. It’s about the principles. It’s about the rule of law…You know the power of truth, the independence of the criminal justice system, individual rights and civil discourse,” Conway said.

George T. Conway III, the husband of White House counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway, attends the 139th Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House April 17, 2017, in Washington, D.C.GETTY IMAGES/CHIP SOMODEVILLA

He delved into the issue plaguing conservatives when it comes to Trump, invoking a sort of ends justifying the means argument about not liking what the president says but approving of the reshaping of the country’s courts.

“There’s this conundrum….Everything kind of revolves around one person, and maybe he likes it that way,” Conway said. “But it’s about timeless truths and timeless principles that are important to the country that maybe some people don’t fully understand because they think things revolve around them.”

Conway described some of Trump’s more questionable actions and words as perhaps a “symptom of an underlying disease.”

“But I do think that one of the issues that we confront as conservative lawyers and that we’re trying to confront here, is that there has been a hesitancy to speak out when say the president tweets something that is in derogation of some of these principles because we like other things that the administration has been doing,” he said.

Conway noted the additions of Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court—as well as Trump’s stripping of regulations—as positives, but said it was “appalling” to see Trump blast former attorney general Jeff Sessions in September over indictments against Republican Representatives Chris Collins and Duncan Hunter citing potential election losses.

“Two long-running, Obama era, investigations of two very popular Republican Congressmen were brought to a well publicized charge, just ahead of the Mid-Terms, by the Jeff Sessions Justice Department. Two easy wins now in doubt because there is not enough time. Good job Jeff......” Trump tweeted September 3.

Donald J. Trump

✔@realDonaldTrump

Two long running, Obama era, investigations of two very popular Republican Congressmen were brought to a well publicized charge, just ahead of the Mid-Terms, by the Jeff Sessions Justice Department. Two easy wins now in doubt because there is not enough time. Good job Jeff....

YES I AM STILL VOTING FOR CYTHIA NIXON FOR STATE ASSEMBLY>

YES, I AM STILL VOTING FOR CYNTHIA NIXON, NOT DEBORAH GLICK FOR STATE ASSEMBLY. GLICK HAS NOT EARNED YOUR VOTE. NIXON REPRESENTS A CHANCE FOR CHANGE. THINK ABOUT IT!

Jim Fouratt

In the September Westview, I wrote that Cynthia Nixon, if she did not win her primary against Andrew Cuomo, would be a perfect candidate to run on the Working Families ballot for NY State Assembly opposing 26-year incumbent Deborah Glick. Nixon is now on the ballot confirming what I hoped would happen. Nixon stands for principal and change. I believe change is essential if the Democratic Party can be revitalized to and returned to its core values of representing the unifying values of diverse populations that make up what is supposed to be the core of the Democratic Party.

I want change in Albany, I want it cleaned up and transparent, After watching Nixon bloom and shine as she not only took on Cuomo but refused to be threatened and bullied by him. I was impressed. I acknowledge it is complicated for Nixon to challenge a sitting female legislator like Glick. Both women are open lesbians. Nixon is married with a family. But I suggest we the voters look closely at Glick political record.

Deborah Glick, 26 years in place as my NY State Assembly representative, does not deserve my vote or yours based on her last ten years of service. It is widely recognized that the New York State Legislature is one of the most corrupt in the Country. Deborah Glick, once a radical choice when first elected as an out lesbian-feminist, walked away from her own history when v became and was rewarded as the bully enforcer of now convicted felon Shelly Silver policies. Silver was invited of criminal corruption and personally profiting from his power role as Speaker of the NY State Assembly. As the Daily News wrote, Glick is lucky v was not indited and sent to jail with her mentor.

What happened to Glick? When Glick was denied the endorsement of the NYC Democratic Machine for Borough President she turned her back on her constituents and walked into sleaze filled backrooms of political Albany. Sad. But more importantly,  Glick,  in practice,  rather than rhetoric,  turned in her progressive identity to become a power broker supporting Silver and Cuomo when push came to shove. Her actual record shows how few bills she introduced in her 26 years in office. Yes, Glick did give leadership on one issue: Women's Health. Important, Yes. But Click held out until almost the very end on endorsing same-sex civil marriage. To my mind,  single-issue politicians fail to represent the diversity of needs of v constituents

I want to change! Real change at the New York State Legislature. Glick did nothing in practice to change it because Glick was right in the center of the back room the corruption cesspool. And no matter how many times Glick tries to deny v role, Glick cannot get the blood off her hands. Spin or no spin.

Glick was publicly silent on the closure of St Vincent despite her power position in Albany and her relationship to Cuomo and his Commissioner of Health, Glick was silent over the building of a fracked gas pipeline that enters her District just below 14th St crossing West St. Like her political sister Christine Quinn, Glick did nothing to educate and organized her constituents to resist the potential explosion map that showed the High Line and the business and residential communities including the Whitney Museum were at high risk. On the legislation front, one of the few bills Glick  has introduced (and doing it in the closing hours after midnight on the last night of the Legislature session and with Silver's support) was a bill that put the entire West Side riverfront now occupied by the Hudson ParkTrust and its air rights up for land grab and development by the octopus arms of the hungry real estate developers. Glick is responsible for a West street that now is subject to massive development.  In her own district, this includes the St Johns' 1600 units to be built without any concern for the devastating impact on the ecology and infrastructure of Glick's entire district.

Glick fought congestive pricing which would have restricted traffic flow from 98 st to Chambers street.

What did this elected official do when Hurricane Sandy was about to hit the Lower West Side? Glick packed up and left town. Glick went to her home upstate, so low was her concern for her own constituents.

There is so much more, If you look at her legislature record, Click in 26 years has introduced few actual bills. Check her financial contributions over the last 10 years and you will find Glick took in hundreds of thousands of dollars in “dark money” from LLCs and Political pacs.

The Democratic Machine and media like The Villager may call her progressive but v record today defies the definition if one looks closely at Glick's actual record.

We are so lucky to have two out lesbians running for State Assembly on November 6th in .

 Nixon is on fire. Glick should have retired to her home and partner upstate. Nixon will bring new energy and vision and I just bet she will keep in close contact with her constituency ..something Glick has not done for years.

Beware of the spin that Nixon did not want to run and will not serve, It is no accident Nixon's name is on the ballot on the Working Families party line,  Nixon agreed to run. That is what matters to me. When Nixon wins, I expect her to accept the call of the voters.

UPDATE: If Glick loses and Nixon declines to accept the voters’ mandate, there will be a special race for District 66 to elect a new State Assembly person. We will already have a special election to replace Public Advocate Tish James if she wins Attorney General  , This would be good news as it will bring fresh blood into the stagnant State Legislature and add a new voice to those who have been trying to clean up Albany, It will put the lights on in the back room of dirty Albany politics and  bring transparency to leadership and inform the voters how their State legislature actually works.

I want change!

This is why I am voting for Cynthia Nixon for State Assembly.

TAYLOR MAC sings Patti Smith's PEOPLE HAVE THE POWER on Stephen Colbert show ans DAZZLES the world with Drag Queen resistance

Can I beam for a moment, please?   My generation's lesbian and gay children of diverse gender expression make me very proud when they have the insight about the world we live in based on the gay spirit nurtured in generations of resistance survival. Taylor Mac expresses the love of life and freedom and the tools we have learned on how not to get killed as we resist erasure and a bully culture. 

Kudos to Stephen Colbert for sharing Taylor all decked out in Machine Dazzle glamour to a different way to resist. Here is what Taylor had to say to Colbert before he performed "Before the performance, the artist chatted with host Colbert about the plot behind 24-Decade History of Popular Music, activism and gender pronouns. Touching on different moments in history, 24-Decade covers every musical phase from 1776 to present and with an hour focused on each decade's tunes -- focusing on communities that are building themselves because they are being torn apart.

asked how to incorporate the Trump era in the show, Mac wisely replied -- "You got to incorporate the calamity. To me, Trump is trying to steal the history of America. I've learned this at the clubs -- if something is threatening to throw away the story from the storyteller, you got to incorporate that thing into the story at all costs. So we do incorporate Trump, but we don't let him be the lead -- we are the lead."

Oh Taylor Mac  is the recipient  of the MACARTHUR GENIUS AWARD 

Here is what Taylor had to say before he performed

Here is how Billboard reported this appearance: 

"Presenting a peak of their expansive, Pulitzer Prize finalist show 24-Decade History of Popular Music, performance artist Taylor Mac stopped by The Late Show on Monday night (Oct. 29) to take over the stage with their infectious spirit, powerful words and outrageously colorful costume.   Accentuated by a piano, the MacArthur Genius Grant winner's raspy voice soared high in an incendiary performance of Patti Smith's 1988 empowerment anthem "People Have the Power" -- offering full-throated charisma, a deep tenor and a lot of sparkles. The glittery act was highly dynamic and featured an impromptu speech about never doubting that the power is indeed, with the people. Rocking a colorful outfit by Machine Dazzle made of balloons and strings of glittery tinsel, Mac showed off their extravagant persona while delivering a message of peace and unity.