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LGBT activists attempt to address notorious homophobe New York State Senator and Pentecostal minister Ruben Diaz’s scheduled hate rally. From Steven Thrasher at Village Voice:
The kids over at Queer Rising, whose actions for marriage equality have been some of the more entertaining protests we’ve covered lately, were incensed when they heard of Diaz’s plans to hold an anti-gay rally during the annual AIDS Walk. Faced with a conundrum about whether to counter-protest Diaz in the Bronx, or to support the largest fundraiser to fight HIV/AIDS of the year, they’ve come up with a pretty fun solution.From their press release:
Queer Rising will have a large cut-out Ruben Diaz figure replete with “fabulous costume changes” that people will have the opportunity to take photos with at the AIDS Walk for $1.00. All proceeds of will be donated directly to GMHC, with suggested directing of funding to HIV/AIDS work specifically in the Bronx.
Queer Rising member Jake Goodman is quoted as saying, “We are deeply offended by his sullying this inspiring day of charity to promote an agenda of hate.”
You can find Queer Rising and the ersatz Diaz on the AIDS Walk route at Riverside Drive and W. 95th beginning at 10:30am, this Sunday, May 15.
Full press release after the fold.
Queer Rising invites you to join “Ruben’s Drag Race” At AIDS Walk To Benefit The BronxNew York, NY — Sunday, May 15 marks one of the most beautiful and inspiring traditions of New York, the 26th annual AIDS Walk.
AIDS Walk started in 1986 at a time when people with HIV were abandoned by our local and Federal governments, unable to find doctors to care for them, or even undertakers to bury them. Thirty years later AIDS Walk stands as a beautiful, shining monument to the generous spirit of all New Yorkers pulling together to overcome an enormous tragedy.
That is why it is particularly tragic and offensive Reverend and Senator Rueben Diaz has chosen May 15th-of all days-to organize a hateful and divisive anti-gay march in the Bronx. “We are deeply offended by his sullying this inspiring day of charity to promote an agenda of hate,” said Jake Goodman, a member of Queer Rising.
Despite the sad reality that the Bronx struggles with one of the highest rates of HIV infection in the country-and the fact that Diaz is himself an ex-intravenous drug user-Diaz devoted his day to entertaining non-constituents, fomenting homophobia and hatred over the imaginary problem of marriage equality, and aiming that hatred towards the LGBT community.
Queer Rising is inviting AIDS Walkers and passerbyers to stop by “Ruben’s Drag Race” at Riverside Drive and West 95th Street to send Senator Diaz a message: HIV must end; the hatred must end; the violence must end; the bullying must end; the teen suicides must end. ”There is no place in New York City for the kind of display he has organized and New Yorkers repudiate his divisive agenda of hate.”
Queer Rising will have a large cut-out Ruben Diaz figure replete with “fabulous costume changes” that people will have the opportunity to take photos with at the AIDS Walk for $1.00. All proceeds of will be donated directly to GMHC, with suggested directing of funding to HIV/AIDS work specifically in the Bronx.
“If Senator Diaz cannot be bothered to advocate on his constituents’ behalf, we will have to work to make up the difference and let them know that they are not abandoned,” said Goodman.
Photos will be available on Queer Rising’s Tumblr page.
Date: Sunday, May 15th
Time: Meeting at 10:30am
Location: Riverside Drive and West 95th Street (along the AIDS Walk route)
20 Comments
Transphobia, anyone?Images of people in drag should never be used as a source of ridicule.
NOM supporting DiazIs it no wonder the hate group, National Organization for Marriage (NOM) is supporting Diaz for his May 15th event? I’d love to find some dirt on Diaz.
It’s a fair point to make.That this may be insensitive. I know some people who are involved in Drag Queen Weddings for Equality are involved in the planning.
And of course, drag queens have always been a part of the LGBT movement. Legend tells us arrestees at Stonewall chanted:
An obvious attempt to provoke the anger and ire of the police via renegade gender expression. And it’s hard to know how to place the issue of drag within the movement. And in a way, to embrace that the renegade status is something to take pride in, to cast off the shaming society places on people who don’t fit neatly into cisgendered roles.
To say drag should never be utilized for it’s humorous properties is a difficult line in the sand to draw, given that is IS humorous and in some ways, accessible.
I was thinking the same thing…Misogynistic too because gasp…the worst thing you could do to a man is call him a woman.
A more appropriate picture would be of him as a snake (his true form), as one of the Village People, Kim-Jong Il, Mr. Hanky (South Park fans will like that one), etc. etc.
I would suggest this is not transphobic……but I understand how you might see it that way.
The way I see this, it’s not using the image of someone in drag to imply anything about gender, gender roles, sex, etc. Rather it’s inserting that person into pop-culture imagery that is incredibly popular with segments of the GLBT community.
In other words, it’s a way of ridiculing him based on his own ignorant stance about the gay community by making him part of it, not by trying to imply anything about his masculinity.
I’m not even sure I said that the way I was thinking it, but it’s the best way I can express it right now.
I can see that.it does become like the calling a homophobic Senator a closet case, whether true or not, it IS utlizing homophobia to disgrace or shame a public official.
But by the same token, that is not the same as saying it SHOULD be disgraceful or shameful.
The power emanates from the person agreeing if it were true (or is true) it is something to be ashamed. It’s not like anyone but the far regressive right tries to shame out and proud politicians like Baldwin, Frank, Polis and Ciceline. Civilized people disagree with them on their policy (and I have with Frank) but don’t drag their sexuality into the question.
In fact, Diaz’s own homophobia is what would/will make it a provocative and incendiary image to him and his followers.
But Rudy Guiliani famously did drag many times. So I tactic like this probably couldn’t be used very successfully to provoke him. His response would be “Well, that’s cute of them” And the story would have no legs.
Humor is one thing, it’s the ridicule itself that bothers me.It’s one thing to dress yourself to make a point. It’s something else entirely to ridicule someone else.
Humor is okay (by me anyway), ridicule is not.
Seems a bit disengenuous.I find it hard to believe that those involved don’t mean to imply something about gender.
The point that what is being ridiculed is the very phobia involved is compelling however. I hadn’t thought of it that way. I fear that the audience wouldn’t see it that way either. Even if the intent is good, the act is still likely to perpetuate the problem of transphobia and misogyny. With the right messaging, perhaps that could be avoided.
I hate Ruben Diaz with the power of a thousand sunsBut this seems utterly misogynistic and transmisogynistic to me. Especially when there are plenty of members of The Village People to dress him up as…
Respectfully, that isn’t really any better….
Since that only transfers it from misogynistic and transmisogynistic to homophobia. The punchline would then become isn’t it funny to see him as a gay person?
Except thatHe is scheduling an anti-marriage equality march, not an anti-drag/anti-trans march. I don’t really think it’s a great idea either way tbqh, but at least dressing him up as Eric Anzalone would make more sense.
The gay community does have a bad steak when it comes to misogyny and transphobia, and this feels like a continuation of that trend, good intentions aside.
I have no disagreement with that
I just don’t think there’s a difference between dressing him up as the Village People than dressing him up in women’s clothes.
One ridicules him by implying he’s gay.
Another ridicules him by implying he’s a drag queen.
Either way, it makes the LGBT community the butt of the joke (if one agrees with the premise).
It’s mostly the sameBut if gay cis men want to mock others at the expense of themselves, I don’t have a problem with that. However, once you start getting into stuff like dressing him up as a woman in order to ridicule him, it starts branching out into other parts of the queer rainbow… parts that aren’t necessarily well represented in the group doing the mocking. And that’s pretty problematic.
Spanish myself, I loathe Diaz and his claims to decide Spanish CUltureespacially his claim that Hispanic attitudes(read as:Diaz’s attitudes) towards LGBT issues are shaped by Spanish Culture when the mother country has same sex marriage.
Still, I am in agreement with ProdiGAL that this is misogynistic and transphobic and an unacceptable political campaign tool as it weakens the credibility of our trans sisters and brothers simply to make a cheap point about the Franco of the Bronx.
Franco would be the “zappropriate representation”as he is little more than the dictator imposing his views of religion upon our state, as Franco did after the Civil War.(My university had gothis chapels installed in every building on campus by Franco, despite the fact that most of the structures were Bauhaus.)
Agreed. The ultimate humiliation is to make him a “tr*nny?”Doesn’t that re-enforce the idea that trans-people are somehow natural objects of ridicule and that it is ok to hold them in contempt?
Phenomenally bad choice of tactic since it hands a weapon to the opponents fo our trans brothers and sisters, who are indeed our allies.
How about we dress him up as leather clad bdsm gay?
Or a dyke?
Not acceptable to those groups, without doubt.
I personally think that Franco would have been the appropriat choice. Once, when he was campaigning and gladhanding I mentioned the comparasion to him –that he was simply Franco wihout the power…yet
Yes it does
Yes it does, because many GLB groups think it is “ok to hold them in contempt”. They honestly don’t see what the fuss is all about. That’s the problem. Events like this are the proof, and a natural consequence.
People like Diaz are inconsitent about their loyalitiesMuch like the people of Latin American in regards to race, religion, sexuality and everything else. I'm Puerto Rican, like Diaz as well. He doesn't realize that he's perpetuating imperialistic idealogies and attitudes that were foced upon society when Latin America was under Spanish/Portuguese rule. How quick the oppressed become the oppressor.
I would agree.It’s not transphobic, it’s pure, unadulterated mysogyny!
There is no drag queen defense possible here.
AhhhhI was wondering where the support for GENDA was. It looks like it all got distilled to its most blatantly anti woman and anti-trans image and used for.. dum dum dum.. gay marriage.
Totally no reason to suspect NY will be another NH (which was another NY).