Perfectunion.net shaking up marriage discourse

Dear queers and allies,

During San Francisco's historic marry-in, the "Winter of Love" in February-March 2004, a few supporters were already beginning to call for more nuanced and inclusive approaches to the "same-sex marriage" issue.

Zak Szymanski wrote critically about the movement, stressing gender issues.

A veteran of the Southern civil rights movement distributed "freedom songs" to couples standing in line outside S.F. City Hall in hopes of gaining the right to legally marry, stressing the parallel with blacks lining up outside city and county offices in the former Confederacy in the 1960s, in hopes of gaining the right to vote.

Feminists and queers drew attention to patriarchal aspects of marriage. Polyamorists and libertarians hoped that open marriages and multi-spouse marriages would be included in the concept(s) of marriage.

Noting "that 'same-sex' and 'marriage' are way more intricate than combatants are likely to admit" [S.F. Bay Times, 11 March 2004], SaveFreedom formed as a Yahoogroup, intending to discuss "civil liberties, civil marriage, civil rights, civil unions, couples, domestic partnerships (state or local), homophobia, marry-ins, marriage customs, monogamy, polyandry, polygyny, triads, polyamory, and more".

In August 2004, activists launched Perfectunion.net, seeking to encourage "more direct action, civil disobedience, and internal community dialogue" on the marriage equality issue, according to an extensive report by Louis Anthes in the Sept. 9 issue of Bay Area Reporter (page 12).

SaveFreedom applauds the stated aims of Perfectunion, and urges all queers and allied freedom-seekers to post this link on their personal and other web pages:

http://www.perfectunion.net/


For freedom until death!

SaveFreedom [at] yahoogroups.com

Friday, 10 September 2004

.............
P.S 1:
Meanwhile, here are two excerpts from the Perfectunion site:

" Welcome to the website of Perfect Union, a group of organizers and activists in the United States supporting grassroots activism around marriage for all. We’ve adopted the name "Perfect Union" because it reflects the best in America’s democratic heritage.

[Note by SaveFreedom: Our U.S. Constitution begins with these words: "We, the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union...."]

Many groups are working to organize support for same-sex marriage through legal and legislative means (see Resources for Activists). We aim to expand these valuable efforts by:

* Framing the campaign for same-sex marriage as a political movement—one focused on democracy, and aimed at ensuring that all the institutions of a democratic state are open and accessible to all people.
* Supporting the work of grassroots activists around the nation engaged in community organizing, direct action, and civil-disobedience. We want to enable and support effective, well-organized activities that follow creative non-violence (no violence against people, property, animals or the environment) and that work to be visibly multiracial.
* Providing a space for reflection, praise, criticism and self-criticism about our work. What are the goals of our actions and how successfully do we meet these goals? How do we feel about the politics and values reflected in our signs and chants? What can we do to empower ordinary people throughout the nation to join our actions?

Many of us would never have chosen the issue of same-sex marriage to be at center stage in our movement right now. But we don’t control reality: events move in unexpected ways. For those of us who embrace feminism, gay liberation, anti-racism, and social justice movements, the marriage issue has become a key battlefront.

Please take a few minutes and visit our Web site. Take anything that is helpful to your own work to democratize marriages and strengthen democracy. The materials available on this Web site have been created by members of the Perfect Union Working Group and our friends and collaborators. They’re intended to support organizing everywhere: we look forward to hearing your own ideas, questions, and news."
...............

"Our Purpose

We’re putting time, energy and money into this Web site because we hope to support the work of grassroots activists throughout the nation. We believe the current legal and legislative tactics in support of same-sex marriage need to be augmented by community organizing, direct action, and civil disobedience approaches.

During February 2004, a remarkable wave of grassroots activities followed San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom’s decision to invite same-sex couples to get married at City Hall. Groups of same-sex couples came together in caravans traveling from town to town on Long Island as they visited county clerk offices seeking to be married. Public officials and county clerks in small-town New Mexico, New Paltz and Ithaca, New York, Multomah [Multnomah] County, Oregon and Asbury Park, New Jersey jumped on the bandwagon and issued licenses. Clergy members and town officials broke the rules to sign same-sex marriage licenses. Hundreds of supportive people phoned florists to send bouquets of flowers to same-sex couples waiting in line to get married at San Francisco City Hall, and many more sent emails of congratulations and thanks to San Francisco city officials. Relatives, friends, and citizens joined in encouraging, supporting, and cheering on civil disobedience as same-sex marriages took place.

Most of these activities were not organized by the legal and legislative groups working on same-sex marriage; they were responses by community members eager to take direct action to make marriage truly democratic.

Of course we think grassroots activists should, as much as possible, be part of a coordinated strategy with legal, legislative, and media-based efforts around same-sex marriage. At the same time we know that many good people working in those areas look askance at demonstrations, direct action approaches, and civil-disobedience campaigns which they fear might offend allies or impede legal efforts.

We want to help support the spirit of direct action that allows people to experience their own power to contribute to change. We hope to help nurture a branch of the movement for same-sex marriage that makes creative and effective use of direct action and civil disobedience, and draws on grassroots creativity and energy.

We’re working to expand the discussion of love, romance, and family so that same-sex marriage is also understood as a political issue -
an issue of democracy.

We understand the strategy of putting forward couples who have been together many years as we demand access to the institution of marriage for same-sex couples. There are lots of good reasons for this, but it also creates some problems in the discussion.

We don’t want to encourage the belief that civil rights and democratic participation must be "earned" by well-behaved, deserving citizens. While some argue, "We pay taxes, so we should have the right to marry," or "We’ve been together for 27 years, so we should have the right to marry," we believe that civil rights and full participation in the institutions of democracy should be granted to all people in our society, instead of doled out to the "worthy."

We believe that marriage should be open to all couples, no matter how closely they adhere to Ozzie-and Harriet [sic] values. We don’t want to encourage a hierarchy within queer communities that honors relationships focused on financial stability, longevity, children, and monogamy while shutting out the wide range of ways queer people organize our relationships, families, and sex lives. We want to make sure that marriage is available to all—and that same-sex marriage doesn’t look like an institution of interest primarily to middle-aged, middle-class white people. "
.................

P.S 2:
notes from SaveFreedom to webmasters at Perfectunion.net:
-- Logo: Instead of showing a right fist, please reverse the image, changing it into a LEFT fist.
-- In the "Our Purpose" section, "Mutlomah" should be "Multnomah";
and "Ozzie-and Harriet" needs a second hyphen.
.....................

P.S. 3:
And here's our
CALENDAR 4 FREEDOM-SEEKERS
( compiled by SUN and SaveFreedom;
plus info from HTC ):
........
For more queer events in the SF Gay Area,
please visit Larry-bob at HTC:

[ http://www.holytitclamps.com/ ]
...........
Please FORWARD freely, as appropriate.
...........


SEPTEMBER 2004:


CAL: SF: now thru Sept. 19:
Fringe Festival [theatrical performances]:

http://www.sfFringe.org

.........

CAL-SF: Friday, Sept. 10, evening:
"BDSM on a Budget",
presented by
SCREWUP:
a pangendered BDSM group for transpeople,
genderqueers, and their friends.
who meet on 2nd Friday of every month.
For location and time, please see:

http://screwup.tribe.net


..........

**CAL-SF: 13 Sept, Monday, 7pm:
listen to Carol Leigh (Scarlot Harlot), the UNREPENTANT WHORE,
at A Different Light bookshop, 489 Castro St (near 18th St).
Free.
[ http://www.ADLbooks.com ]

..........

MASS: 14 Sept., Tuesday: state primary election, in which candidates' chances
may (or may not) be affected by the MA same-sex marriage controversy.
........

USA: circa 15 Sept. to 15 Oct: Hispanic Heritage Month.
........

MEXICO and USA: Sept. 16: Mexican Independence Day.

........
***CAL, northern: 17-19 Sept.: NUDESTOCK:
annual clothing-optional music weekend.
Advance registration required.
[ http://www.NudestockFestival.com ]
.........

LOUISIANA: 18 Sept., Saturday: state primary election;
including vote on anti-marriage amendment to state constitution.
[There was a lawsuit seeking to keep this bigotry off the September ballot,
butr that effort apparently failed.]
........


CAL, northern: circa 19 Sept., Sunday (?): Berkeley:
Will X-plicit Players again hold
a clothing-optional event in Peoples Park ?
......

OKLAHOMA: circa 23 September (?):
State supreme court hears oral arguments
about whether an anti-marriage amendment
should appear on November ballot.

.......

***CAL: SF: 25 September:

Perverts Put Out!

Saturday
8:00 pm sharp
[on the night before Folsom Fair]
848 Community Space
at 848 Divisadero, San Francisco, CA

Your last chance, for this year, to catch this long-running and ever-popular literary
smut-salon.
Come experience the cutting edge of erotic fiction,
with presentations by local and visiting writer/performers including
Daphne Gottlieb,
Patrick Califia,
Jen Collins,
Simon Sheppard,
Bill Brent,
Doug Harrison,
Steven Schwartz,
ferret.


Costumes, including fetish wear
and birthday suits,
are welcome.

$12-$20 sliding-scale contribution will benefit our chosen charities --
this time around, we're donating to
the Center for Sex and Culture.
No-one turned away for lack of funds.

We strongly suggest making a reservation
by calling (510) 451-2646
and leaving your phone number for confirmation,
or emailing
PPO [at] blackbooks.com.
Seating is limited and on a first-come, first-serve
basis. We suggest you arrive by 7:45pm
and allow enough time before
that for parking, if you are traveling by car.
......

*** CAL: SF: Sept. 26, Sunday, 11AM to 6PM:
Demonstrate nude for peace at clothing-optional FOLSOM STREET FAIR!
Distribute leaflets against circumcision of infants.

[ http://FolsomStreetEvents.org/ ]

In SF's SoMa district, on Folsom St, from 7th St to 12th St.
Always on last Sunday of each September.
Expect around 400,000 leatherfolk, friends, and fans.
Please donate when you enter.

............................


OCTOBER 2004:
Domestic Violence Awareness Month,
Breast Cancer Awareness Month;
Hispanic Heritage Month (until Oct. 15).
.......



***NEW YORK: October 1st, Friday morning, early:
Spencer Tunick's next Naked Pavement photo-shoot will take place
1 October at 6:45 AM,
in New York City on 13th Street
between Washington Street and the West Side Highway.
All are welcome to pose.
The shoot is part of Extremely Refrigerated, a two-week art and performance installation
taking place in New York's meat-market district and on the Internet.
It's being produced by the Floating Point Unit transmedia art collective.
More info at HotWired: Retina - Naked City:
[ http://hotwired.wired.com/retina/95/33/naked/ ]
........

CAL: SF: early October: Love Parade ??? [or maybe in 2005?]
...........
CAL: SF: early October: Reggae festival in Golden Gate Park;
possibly including Capleton, who advocates genocide against queers.
......
CAL: SF: circa 2-3 Oct. (first weekend):
"Strictly Bluegrass" festival, in Golden Gate Park. Free.
.........

CAL: SF: Oct. 3, Sunday:
Castro Street Fair.

http://www.castrostreetfair.org/

Top-optional; but genitals are banned.
..........
CAL: Oct 3: SF, Cable 29: "Outlook" [queer news], first Sunday, 5pm.
.........

USA: Will Bush, and/or Wahhabi terrorists, stage another "October Surprise" ?
.......

USA: early October:
" Marriage Equality California Caravan
and National Rally in Washington D.C.
From October 4 to 11, 2004, marriage activists will leave San Francisco and cross the
country to Washington D.C. on the Marriage Equality Express, making 14 stops to
network with local marriage activists and spread the fire for marriage equality nation-wide.

EQCA and MECA will post daily blogs from the riders.

Consider going to Washington D.C. for the
National Marriage Equality Rally
on National Coming Out Day [Monday, Oct. 11]
in the Upper Senate Park -
hear Barney Frank, Mabel Teng, marriage plaintiffs,
civil rights advocates, Tuck and Patti and more.
To learn more about supporting the marriage caravan and rally go to

( http://www.marriageequalityca.org/events/2004/national-rally/index.php ). +

+ Register to Vote Absentee!
...Registered voters are five times more likely
to actually vote,
when they vote by mail.
To register to vote absentee go to

( http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/elections_vr.htm ).
[-- MECA]
.........
CAL-SF: 4 October, Monday, 6:30 AM to 6:30 PM: "Celebrating Women" exhibit by IMOW,
at One Market, concourse lobby, downown SF.
Take Bart/Muni to Embarcadero Station.

"The International Museum of Women presents “Celebrating Women,” an exhibit of artifacts, music and photographs of festivals from around the world; richly documented for the first time by Paola Gianturco in her new book “Celebrating Women”(powerHouse Books, October 2004).
The International Museum of Women will open in 2008 at Pier 26 in San Francisco.

Celebrating Women features more than 17 festivals, in many countries. The exhibit affirms the power of women as athletes, defenders, goddesses, providers, warriors and more. Since different cultures deem different attributes laudable, the exhibit offers a view of how women's roles are defined by community and their identities are informed by tradition. It is an opportunity to gain a greater understanding of ourselves and others, as we strive together for positive social change. For more information please go to
http://www.imow.org
Our mission is to value the lives of women around the world."
..............

USA: Friday, 8 October:
"Boycott for Equality".
Please spend NO money today.
[ http://www.indybay.org/news/2004/08/1693067.php ]
........


CA: SF: 9 October 2004:
first annual Nude Peace Day at Baker Beach:

*** N U D E PEACE DAY: You're invited to bodypaint and get bodypainted, for peace and freedom, on N u d e Peace Day, the second Saturday of each October, at Baker Beach, San Francisco. Free. Adults of all genders and orientations are welcome. Take #29 Muni bus to Baker Beach (either of two stops; ask driver); or bike there; or walk from Geary Blvd. and 25th Ave. Walk to northern parking lot, which has water fountain & toilets. From parking lot, walk north on beach (toward Golden Gate Bridge), thru prude zone and into clothing-optional zone. Then visually follow the cable fence (separating usable beach from protected vegetation) until you see a Leather Pride Flag (bearing a red heart, with stripes of black, blue, and white). If you don't see the flag yet, just enjoy the beach on your own. Look again for flag, or bodypainters, each hour, especially near the log stairway. Since organizers must carry supplies on bus, no reliable time can be guaranteed. We hope to be there by 2PM, possibly earlier. Rain cancels.
For details or last-minute changes, please see SUN [ http://pages.prodigy.net/seniornude ]
.............
USA: early October: U.S. Supreme Court starts 2004-2005 term.
......
USA: 11 Oct. (2nd Monday in Oct.): Indigenous Peoples' Day (aka Columbus Day, Discoverer's Day,
Pioneer's Day, etc.). [ Celebrations may occur on October 9 or 10. ]
...........

USA : Oct. 11, Monday: "Coming Out Day":
rally for equal marriage rights, in Washington, DC.
[ http://www.marriageEqualityCA.org/caravan.php ]

[ By email, snail-mail, or phone,
please ask your local Congressperson and both of your Senators to defeat
any and all amendments to the U.S. Constitution concerning marriage.
If your politician is liberal, speak of equal human rights for all citizens.
If he or she isn't liberal, say that marriage is a state issue, not a federal issue.
............

CALIFORNIA: Oct. 18, Monday: If you're not already registered as a voter at your CURRENT address,
please do so by this day. And be sure to ask for "Permanent Absentee Ballot" status!

[ Advice by SUN: You can fill out your absentee ballot at home, taking as much time as you please;
instead of hurriedly doing it while standing in a voting booth. You can take it early to
certain drop-off places (in SF, City Hall is convenient); or drop it off, sealed in an envelope,
on Election Day, at ANY polling place (not necessarily at your designated place).
Without ever having to stand in line!
You avoid hassles faced by ordinary voters, who often show up at the "wrong" polling place.
Absentee voting is first class; while ordinary voting is 4th class. ]

[But what if you distrust ALL candidates for office?
You still should vote Yes or No
on the many local measures and state propositions. ]
...............


WORLD: 24 Oct.: United Nations Day. Act locally, think globally!
...........

CAL: Halloween, Oct. 31, Sunday, 6PM to midnight: entertainment at four stages, etc.:
In SF's Castro district, "CastroWeen" offers a pre-election moment for mocking Bush, Ashcroft, et alii.

[Will topfreedom and nudity be tolerated? SUN hopes so; but can't offer guarantees.
Never argue with, or disobey, a cop.
If a mere civilian orders you to cover up, don't reply; just cover up temporarily,
walk away into the crowd until the prude can't see you, then do as you please.
If people insult you, smile silently, then IGNORE them. If they seem violent, walk slowly away.
Don't waste any of your energy on fools.]

[ DON'T bring alcohol or other intoxicants; you may be searched when entering. If you need or want to get a mild buzz on,
do so BEFORE you try to enter the fenced-off area. (If you need to be heavily stoned, stay outside.)
Don't try to bring in anything which could be considered a weapon.
Don't bring valuables. (Bring your cheapest camera, or a one-time camera; not one which would tempt a thief.)
DO wear a costume, even if it's just a mask. (The more originality and imagination you show, the better;
but any costume is better than none.)

[ http://HalloweenSF.com ]
.............................
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