Homos at the Inaugural!
Steven Levine
I was just looking at the calendar, and at my plane tickets,
and I realized with a start that I hadn't yet shouted from
mountaintops (= posted to soc.motss) what I consider to
be an amazing and important bit of news:
The Lesbian and Gay Bands of America will be performing
as part of the Presidential Inaugural on January 20!
Officially out and in the press releases. And even
somewhat visible.
[This was a secret for a while, and then I was gone for
ten days, and then it was old news. It's only now that
I have been sending email right and left regarding percussion
section logistics -- I'm assistant section leader for the
event -- that I realized I hadn't broadcast this
announcement.]
Longtime readers of this newsgroup might remember the
articles I wrote four years ago when we played at that
Inaugural. Long, emotional articles. We were the first
lesbian or gay group ever to have been part of the
official Inauguration festivities. It was an overpowering
experience, to be an official and symbolic part of the
Presidential Inaugural *as a gay/lesbian group*.
In some ways it felt as if all the years I had put in
towards the national gay band organization had paid off,
because there we were, a national adult musical organization
ready-made for such an occasion when it arose. This
is not to mention the enormous feeling of hope that
we all felt at that particular moment, after that
gay-bashing Presidential campaign (which the gay-basher
party lost). President Clinton and Vice-President Gore
gave us big smiles at our banner, and gave us two
thumbs up. We have this on videotape, and it is
an amazing memory. As far as I'm concerned, nothing that
has (or hasn't) happened in the subsequent four years can
take away that moment in time.
So now we have been invited to participate once more,
in a more visible location. We will not be marching;
we will be playing on 6th St NW between Constitution and
Pennsylvania Aveues, at the FTC Plaza. We are the first
pre-parade route group that people will see, 180 strong.
We play from 9:45 - 10:30 am, then again from 11:00 - 11:30,
then again from the end of the President's speech until
the parade begins at 2:30.
I admit that I am not quite so over the moon about
this event as I was last time. After all, how many
times can you have a once-in-a-lifetime experience?
Twice? Yes, I'm excited, and yes I still think it's
an enormous honor. I'm just not so sanguine about
the current political state as I was four years ago,
and much as I try to separate the symbolism of the
event from the specifics of the current political
landscape I still consider the Inaugural
ceremonies to be something of a pep rally for the President.
There was some controversy in the band organization over
this event; in fact, at the LGBA conference last summer
the Board voted that should we be asked, we would only
accept an invitation to march in the actual parade and
not to be a route band. It took a general uprising among
the organization's membership to reconsider that, and
an assurance on the part of people who had played at
the last Inaugural (almost none of whom were present
for the discussion) that being asked to be a route
band is not in any way an insult, and is, in fact, a huge
and wonderful thing.
And, in a way, it's interesting that an invitation to
play at this Inaugural does *not* feel like the biggest
deal in the world. We are a lesbian and gay organization.
We have been asked to play at this hugely symbolic event.
We are being recognized as full members of our own
country. Are we really reaching a point where we take
this for granted? Apparently so. Surely that's a good thing.
Anyway, I truly am very excited about the trip and the
concert and my role in it. I really do feel that
we are representing something much, much larger than
the 180 individuals who will be beating and banging
on instruments. And I know me. I know what's going to
happen. Sometime it's going to hit me. Perhaps when
rehearsal starts, and I hear the sound made by scores
of out and open lesbian and gay musicians from bands
around the country gathered for this occasion. Perhaps
when the Presidential motorcade goes by. Perhaps
when we play If My Friends Could See Me Now.
I'll be thinking of you all.
-Steven Levine
ste...@cray.com
ABulous
In article <5b3u2l$o...@walter.cray.com> ste...@cray.com (Steven Levine) writes:
>I was just looking at the calendar, and at my plane tickets...
Steven, your post made me break down into a big puddle of tears.
Thank you.
ABulous
--
Harry A. Kaplan IRC nick: ABulous
e-mail: hka...@panix.com web: <http://www.panix.com/~hkaplan>
Jeremy Mallory
Steven Levine (ste...@cray.com) wrote:
: I'll be thinking of you all.
Hell, if you're a good boy, you may *see* some of us. :)
Congratulations.
Jeremy
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Jeremy Mallory jmal...@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu
George Washington University Gelman Library, 714 J