 For lesbian activists and grassroots organizers fighting the Christian Right. | |
|
Visibility Issue #1: Does Everyone Have to be "Out"? No matter where you go there are going to be people who feel more able to be "out" and "visible" than others. This doesn't have to hinder the possibilities for visibility events. For example, if there are some members of your group who do not feel comfortable picnicking alongside lesbian banners at your local fair, but there are others that do, there are still ways for everyone to participate in the event. At our Lesbian and Gay Freedom Picnic, activists could simply attend the picnic, sit by the banner and get some food, or they could participate in handing out cards and Hershey Kisses later in the afternoon. Even before the event, there are many ways to participate in an action: banners need to be made, media needs to be handled, food needs to be prepared. There is always more work to be done, so everyone should be encouraged to participate in whatever capacity they can. Furthermore, visibility events do not always require a human presence. The 100-foot pink triangle put up by the Lewiston Lesbian and Gay Society worked well as a "day after" visibility action. The entire town was talking about the mysterious symbol for a week, speculating about who had put it up, and what it was all about. And that was before we took out a Lost and Found ad in the Lewiston Tribune, reading "LOST: 100-ft pink triangle, last seen on Lewiston Hill. Please contact the Lewiston Lesbian and Gay Society at XXX-XXXX." Other visual symbols, such as highway signs, wheat pasted visuals, billboards, and public statues, can also be put up in the middle of the night.
Table of Contents | Home |