Say NO to hate

A few weeks ago some mates and I went to see Milk at a local cinema club. Milk is a bio-pic about Harvey Milk, who we first meet celebrating his birthday in New York City picking up a younger lad and taking him home. They then move to San Francisco because, frankly, the homophobia rife in NYC during the late 1960s and early 1970s was awful. It was in 1969 in that city when drag queens, poofs and dykes finally reacted to the continual round of police raids, bashings, etc, all because they were considered queer.

State sanctioned queer bashing.

San Francisco was better, but hardly a utopia, as the film points out.

Harvey Milk's achievement was to be the first openly gay to be voted to any public office in the USA. Not only that, he lead a campaign to stop prejudicial legislation. In the 1970s it was about gay teachers, and the fight was over the ludicrous claims that homosexuality can be caught or taught, and if children are exposed to this 'disease' the end of the world will be hastened. Anita Bryant was one of the proponents of this 'argument', but not the only one. Interestingly, the film used only real footage of her.

Harvey Milk was assassinated. There was a spontaneous protest - a near silent march to the San Franscisco city hall, lit by candles.

But, while the battles may have changed in the USA, the war hasn't. Marriage is one strident issue; but it took how many years before Matthew Shepard was honoured in Federal law against hatred of the type that took his life so horribly? It was on 28 October 2009 that President Barack Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into US law. Matthew was murdered in 1998. And then there was the hatred that saw people protesting against those who made a stand against that hatred... I still shiver at the vile shown against people who peacefully were trying to give Matthew the respect he didn't have in his life and death.

Oh, and the American Psychological Association in August 2009 adopted a resolution stating "mental health professionals should avoid telling clients that they can change their sexual orientation through therapy or other treatments". Their resolution also recommends "parents, guardians, young people and their families avoid sexual orientation treatments that portray homosexuality as a mental illness or developmental disorder and instead seek psychotherapy, social support and educational services 'that provide accurate information on sexual orientation and sexuality, increase family and school support and reduce rejection of sexual minority youth'." (see below links for more information)

What made my blood freeze was the story of a lesbian couple and their children in Florida in 2007. Check out Nicola Griffith's blog (link below) and read it for yourself, and check that date again.

I grew up in Australia. I was 10 when Sydney had its "Stonewall" riots. That protest sparked the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (to give it its full, unequivocal title), and I would be lying if I said I had strong memories of it. Though, as a teenager, both it and the subsequent Mardi Gras parades obvious seeped into my consciousness. There are so many stories, but one I think captures the changes well was one I heard in 2002 after the Gay Games had successfully concluded. One of the main organisers of the cycling events was an out gay lad. His dad had a message of support - poignant because he'd been one of the cops in 1978. One of the cops who arrested, held, and beat those queer folk and their supporters who'd dared to march. I know from my own experience just how far the NSW Police have changed - they simply are not the force they were, and that is an extraordinarily fantastic thing.

It's the same with the UK police. Shaken up by various enquiries over the last couple of decades, police are more likely to respond to reports of queer bashing, etc. However, the statistics on clear up rates are awful, and there are reports there's a raise in the numbers of reports in recent times. This could be people being more willing to report because they have the faith the police will take their complaint seriously, or there could be a rise in the number of attacks.

Just in September and October two stories made the media. The second was in Liverpool, England, when a young trainee police officer, James Parkes, was attacked in a blatantly homophobic incident. He's in hospital with brain injuries.

The first took place in London's Trafalgar Square in September. Ian Baynham had been celebrating a new job with the Home Office and was subjected to homophobic abuse by some teenagers. He challenged them, and they attacked. He died two weeks later in hospital from his injuries.

On 30 October 2009 thousands of people took candles to Trafalgar Square, not just for Ian and James, but in memory of those killed and injured by others who hate them for who they are, or who they are perceived to be: gay, lesbian, bisexual. It was a very moving place to be, and I know I wasn't the only one among my friends who had linked what we'd seen in Milk and this.

When will this all end?

Sadly, probably not in my life time. But, if we all continue to make a stand against the bigotry from ignorance that leads to these hate crimes, if we continue to report the crimes to the police, and support them in their work to bring people to justice. If we continue to support all those others who work so hard to support people struggling with homophobic abuse, if we continue to challenge homophobia in the media with dignity and good humour, then maybe it'll make it harder for the bigots to be bigots.

Some links of potential interest:
- Stonewall, a leading UK charity/lobby group
- Nicola Griffith's blog about recent polls in Seattle, WA (USA) and an awful story of discrimination in Florida (2007 for the first event, 2009 for when the courts upheld the bigotry!)
- BBC news about the vigil in Trafalgar Square, 30 October 2009
- excellent blog about various issues to do with the medicalisation of homo- bi- & heterosexuality - very good links! (Thanks to Kate Orman for the original link)
- US anti-gay campaigner Anita Bryant in her own words... and a cream pie!