Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-02-22
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

Queer thoughts about the new war
2001-11-21

This article shared 870 times since Wed Nov 21, 2001
facebook twitter google +1 reddit email


by Ferd Eggan

As of tonight, Nov. 12, 2001, it appears that Kabul has been captured by anti-Taliban forces. Although this might be taken for an end of war, I suspect we are in for what President Bush continues to call "the long haul." What are we in for, then?

The terrible events of Sept. 11 have forced nearly all of us to change our ways of thinking and acting as queers, as people living in the U.S., as people struggling for justice, as residents of the world. We are horrified by the death and destruction of so many lives in the U.S., but we are also repulsed by the ravages of globalization that have brought misery to so many people elsewhere. Now it seems that major battles may come and go, but we are faced with a situation that may require much more courage, and perhaps some resistance, to live with the uneasy new U.S. reality. I submit this essay in continuing hopes for liberation for queers of all kinds, and for the people of the world at large. But the events of the last months have taught me to avoid easy lesbian and gay "hooks" to organize around.

There is a particularity about the New War that queers have to think about. Some LGBT "leaders" suggested that this is a "Great Opportunity" for gay and lesbian military personnel. Don't ask! Not only is this a stupid risk of death for people we presumably care about; it is ugly opportunism at the expense of every other person in the world. We do not need this opportunity to be gay/lesbian oppressors of others. We do not have the freedoms that soldiers are said to be defending, and to fight for the U.S. government now will not bring equality or justice.

I think that Sept. 11 has pushed people into the postmodern world of globalism where easy words are not good enough to account for what is happening. President Bush's clumsy attempt to explain it all as "attacks on our freedoms" was shown to be a lie once the American Patriotism Act took away a lot of freedoms. If the phones of AIDS activists had been tapped, as they can be now under powers granted to the FBI, it would have made our demonstrations impossible. Inadequate also are cliches that we are in a war "for oil": how can material gain explain the powerful beliefs of suicide bombers?

It is also too simple for peace activists to call this a case of "chickens coming home to roost." It is certain that the West has brought capitalist destruction and almost unrelenting misery to millions. But the thought of Al-Quaeda and subsequent actions are not the actions of exploited masses of people; instead they enact a very ideologically informed vision of a world where their sheer will can overcome the actual limitations of 21st Century contradictions. These men appear to be wealthy, well educated in their own cultures, and highly competent in Western technology. Acting for the oppressed Muslims is a stance assumed by the hijackers and their possible networks to draw away militants into a particular political project. Sept. 11 was a calculated deviation of the resentment of the oppressed. One is not just the "context" for the other.

And the relationship between world capitalist necessity and the territory of Central Asia is anything but simple. Yes there is oil. Yet different capitalists seem to want very different things in Afghanistan and the region. The most obvious thing to want in Afghanistan right now is 85% of the world's opium. Capitalism depends as much on the illegal trade in opiates as it does on oil, since it has to run many more minds than machines. Maybe naming raw materials to be extracted is too simple an explanation of the needs of global capitalism. It is also possible that the women of the region are the most important tools to capture; their labor and creativity has continued undiminished despite or because of the absence of men at the front for 20 years. The global demand for women's labor may be in conflict with Afghan men's vision of productive society. That may be the reason the Taliban forces women into seclusion.

The masterminds of the U.S. government want to keep us on alert under the rubric of American People. The new Anti-Terrorism Bill calls for much more intrusive enforcement of uniformity of thought and action under conditions of war, much like WWI and WWII. Wire-tapping, more detention of suspects, more conspiracy trials will be the obvious form of this repression. More subtle will be media manipulations of any feelings we might have of place—of the central events and feelings that we live through and are physically situated in this country. The connections we share with other humans in this country will be twisted into patriotism by television, music and big doses of words that reduce the complexity of human emotions into motivations to support the national and international desires of a system we need more than ever to resist.

Even if the Northern Alliance or some coalition ends war in Afghanistan, other wars and famine will bring mass migrations, refugee camps, famine and disease. Those who are working in agriculture or mining or factories in Malaysia or Mexico or Malawi are often "better off" than their poorer, unemployed neighbors, dragged into global capitalism that is destroying the social fabric of their cultures. They are resisting the changes in their lives too, often by strengthening allegiance to "traditional" values ( which must be re-invented to fit the conditions of today ) . The refugee camps, the sweatshops, the fronts in local wars, serve as schools where oppressed people share and educate themselves as best they can. They also serve as recruiting grounds for those who have political projects that aspire to transform the world situation to one better suited to them.

The Taliban is only one group that emerged from the militants as a twisted, heretical version of Islam. Since it was created by men at the front, the Taliban considered women worthless except as possessions to be used and concealed from predators, and considered men to be valuable only as they conformed to the goals of local control, solidarity and small capitalism that is within the visible horizon of men fighting together at the front. The Taliban is an example of an organization that draws away militants from the mass resistance to global capitalism. Their vision is not Islamic fundamentalism, it is fascism. The fact that there are no visible women in the Intifada in Palestine now is some indication that something has twisted the popular movement. I wonder if Hamass is a similar force that draws young men from the mass resistance of the Intifada. It could be seen as a failure ( or destruction by Israel ) of the progressive organizations that used to lead Palestinians. This does not deny the legitimacy of Palestinian demands, it only points to how those demands are not the same as the armed organizations that claim to lead them sometimes.

There is an even uglier queer thing about the New War, and that is the representation of Osama Bin Laden and the terrorists, and the whole Muslim world that is thought to be their base, as queers! A hot dog stand in Chicago exhibits a badly xeroxed naked Bin Laden with the Empire State Building penetrating his butt. American flyboys proudly load a bomb which bears the chalked message "High jack this, faggots!" Prejudice about customs in the Middle East and Central Asia is here compounded with American homo-hatred in a way that—sadly—has not been opposed by our "gay rights" opportunists. If it is true that the fascist organizations of Al Queada, etc., are homo-social, all-male, anti-woman military formations, it might be easy to fall into this ugly way to characterize the enemies of the U.S. Tony Blair and some European allies are taking a higher tone, which seems to represent global capital in its more sophisticated aspect. The globalists are quite willing for there to be lesbian and gay military, and can accommodate lesbians and gays into the market economy with ease. They can act relaxed about possible Muslim traditions because they don't need to care.

Ironically, the demands of the world's women in the '70s and '80s have made global capitalism integrate women into the work force to the dismay of local right-wingers in many cultures. In the U.S., Jerry Falwell and his ilk; in Afghanistan Mullah Omar. In the U.S., local group cohesion has always demanded male supremacy. Maybe by supporting women's struggles here and abroad, queers can help resist further global oppression, while also opposing the organizing being spearheaded now by groups like Al-Queda overseas and the Armies of God here.

I hope not to confuse the situation. I know that every opponent of the U.S. is not a despicable terrorist. I know that every opponent of capitalism is not a freedom fighter. Every anti-Taliban combatant is not a savior. Every Great Opportunity for lesbians and gays is not a step for liberation. Liberation is when our bodies are not to be recruited for patriotism or religion or world economic order, but instead when our bodies join together to create community that can utilize our differences as creativity, as cooperation.

Ferd Eggan is a long-time Queer activist and a founder of ACT-UP Chicago. He has just retired after 10 years as AIDS Coordinator for the City of Los Angeles. He invites reader comment at ferdeggan@aol.com .


This article shared 870 times since Wed Nov 21, 2001
facebook twitter google +1 reddit email

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Iowa, Georgia ban medical treatment for trans minors
2023-03-24
Two more states have enacted laws that prohibit medical treatment for transgender minors. On March 22, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed two bills into law that affect transgender minors in the state, NBC News reported. Senate ...


Gay News

World Athletics Council: Trans women banned from track-and-field competition
2023-03-24
The World Athletics Council has barred transgender women from competing in elite female competitions if they have gone through male puberty, ESPN reported. Organization president Sebastian Coe said at a press conference that the decision was ...


Gay News

Opera Preview: Life of gay World War II hero Alan Turing transformed into a world-premiere opera
2023-03-17
It has taken a decade for The Life and Death(s) of Alan Turing to grow from an idea into a full- fledged opera. Chicago Opera Theater stages the world premiere of composer Justine F. Chen and ...


Gay News

Arkansas governor signs anti-trans medical malpractice bill
2023-03-15
Republican Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed into law a measure that makes it easier to sue providers of gender-affirming care for children, ABC News reported. This move, involving a law that will take effect this ...


Gay News

House Musical, Coming of Age in the Age of House, coming to Hoover-Leppen Theatre
2023-03-14
--From a press release - Campsongs Productions presents the world premiere of House Musical - Coming of Age in the Age of House, with book by Marcus Waller, music by Scott Free (with Michael Foley) and lyrics by Scott Free and ...


Gay News

Anna DeShawn wins prestigious Ambie award for the Queer News podcast
2023-03-13
--From a press release - Las Vegas, NV (March 13, 2023) — The Podcast Academy hosted the Ambies, the most preeminent awards in podcasting, at the Westgate Hotel in Las Vegas on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. Anna DeShawn, the producer & ...


Gay News

RuPaul's Drag Race WERQ THE WORLD in Chicago Aug. 4
2023-03-12
--From a press release - RuPaul's Drag Race WERQ THE WORLD, the largest drag show on earth, returns in 2023 with a show in Chicago Aug. 4 and in 100+ cities across the United States, Canada, Australia, Asia, Europe and Mexico! ...


Gay News

TransLash Media CEO Imara Jones reflects on JK Rowling and 'Hogwarts Legacy'
2023-03-11
The action role-playing game Hogwarts Legacy has been making big news lately—and it's not just because so many people are playing it. Hogwarts Legacy, inspired by writer J.K. Rowling's wizarding ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Folx Health, gay mayor arrested, powerlifter's suit, Versace visit
2023-03-10
Boston-based Folx Health—which provides primary healthcare services and gender-affirming healthcare to LGBTQIA people—made Fast Company's list of the world's 50 most innovative businesses. A few of the other healthcare companies ...


Gay News

SAVOR Peruvian spot Tanta; fundraiser for The Evolved Network
2023-03-09
One of the best things about Chicago cuisine is that you can travel the world without ever leaving the Windy City. The River North spot Tanta (118 W. Grand Ave.; https://www.tantachicago.com/) embodies one such example. Tanta ...


Gay News

World's first transgender MP passes away at 65
2023-03-07
On March 6, Georgina Beyer—a pioneering New Zealand politician who, in 1999, became the world's first openly transgender member of Parliament—passed away at the age of 65. Beyer's friends said she died peacefully in hospice care, ...


Gay News

Queerties honor LGBTQ+ creatives at Feb. 28 event
2023-03-01
The 11th Annual Queerties Awards—which recognizes LGBTQ+ creators, tastemakers, storytellers and newsmakers—took place Feb. 28 at Eden Sunset in Los Angeles. Hosted by drag comedian Bianca Del Rio, the ceremony ...


Gay News

Returning World of Chocolate event nets $250K
2023-02-22
On Feb. 17, AIDS Foundation of Chicago's (AFC) annual fundraiser, World of Chocolate returned after a three-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the event was held in the main entry way of Union ...


Gay News

WORLD Japanese poll, Sydney Mardi Gras, mpox, rugby study, soccer player
2023-02-19
Sixty-four percent of respondents to a Kyodo News poll believe same-sex marriage should be recognized in Japan, the media outlet noted. In the telephone survey, 88.4% also said recent remarks hostile to LGBTQ+ people by a ...


Gay News

180+ journalists and NY Times contributors join HRC, GLAAD to call out biased coverage of trans people in Times coverage
2023-02-15
--From a press release - (New York, NY — Feb. 15, 2023) — Today GLAAD, the world's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, is joined by hundreds of journalists, organizations ...


 




Copyright © 2023 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives. Single copies of back issues in print form are
available for $4 per issue, older than one month for $6 if available,
by check to the mailing address listed below.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.
All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transegender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.