Queer victims versus queer martyrs

Dear queers,
Often a ruling majority can give sentimental sympathy to an oppressed minority --
think Native Americans, Jews, queers --
when cast in the victim role.
Yet such sympathy doesn't include giving the minority equal rights.


In the U$A, many straight Americans (tho not all) felt pity for queer men dying prematurely and pathetically during "the Aidsies", as victims.
But by November 2004, when same-sex couples brazenly demanded full equality with respectable folks -- well, that seemed impudent to most straight voters, especially in the amendment states.


Ruling groups may give sympathy and pity to past victims --
but sympathy ain't empathy, and pity ain't respect.


Recently many queers have been annoyed by 20/20's
challenge to the wide-spread belief
that Shepard was killed solely by homophobia.

[ http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/11/27/DDGUEA1PVL1.DTL ]


But if you look back to that belief, whether accurate or not,
it's merely about victimhood.
Not about heroism.


Nobody has ever claimed that Shepard was a public advocate for queer freedom who was assassinated for his brave actions. That description best fits Harvey Milk, and several less-known queer activists, long forgotten by straights and by most queers.


We queers should see the difference between queer martyrs
and queer victims. The martyr gets killed for doing the right thing, or for trying to do.



The victim class includes martyrs, but is mostly composed of persons who were slaughtered for who they were, rather than for what they did. Victims are far more numerous than martyrs, just as followers are more numerous than leaders, and imitators are more numerous than innovators.


Sure, we must be aware that many queers and TG persons are still being killed merely for who they are -- and that most of these victims are quickly forgotten, especially if they're not white.
We must grieve the sad deaths of these victims.
But we must also resist the sentimental urge to view victims as heroes.


Why should we bother to argue over the motives of the scum who killed Shepard? Instead, we should ask ourselves why we beatify one victim of homophobia (if such he was), while ignoring hundreds of others.
And we queers should ask ourselves why we still glorify Shepard,
while we've almost forgotten Milk.



-- Anarka Pervissima,
San Francisco, California
November 27, 2004

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