‘The guys in pink’

Editors, Asheville Global Report,

I read the letter from Scott Sands in last weeks issue and being one of “the guys in pink” feel the need to respond.

For one, it is easy to say what we don’t want (i.e. a war of aggression) and further it is easy to get trapped in reaction to the forces that push agendas we don’t want. What is hard is to go ahead and make the leap into being a living example of what we do want and to stay on that path regardless of what the dominant culture around us may think of it. As a freak, a queer, and a radical, I cannot afford to exhaust my energies worrying about and/or kowtowing for the approval and validation of a culture that worships death. I want a world reflecting all the strange beauty I see in the natural world (including fierce transgender princess warriors). I am determined to find that diversity in me and live it out. You offend me when you assume that my friend and I do not understand the gravity of the situation. We have both given over our lives to creating change in this world. We are so committed that we will go to the lengths of playing the necessary societal role of “the fool.” Most are too chicken-shit to ever dare this. It is not easy. We provide levity and release for our supporters, but we also provide those filled with hate and anger a way to release the venom they have stored up. Getting called “a stupid fucking queer” and being told “I’ll fucking kill you son of a bitch” is hardly a stroke to my ego. It is however very real and it is a necessary exposing of the truth of how people really feel. Without true feelings and opinions exposed and expressed we can’t move forward in creating lasting change.

I embrace a diversity of tactics as I see the natural world around me doing. My job at the rally was to inspire, entertain, and bring levity to a crowd of people who in these times must remember to laugh and to cry. If all we have is anger, it will destroy us. We will win few converts by screaming in people’s faces. I was, as you say, “protesting in my own voice.”

Now to the entire peace movement, if we feel compelled to judge a tactic we don’t understand or agree with then I ask us all to drop the arrogance and self-righteousness we have been participating in and go ask questions. Make a real effort to understand before we judge. Do it for the absolute necessity of creating solidarity in the peace movement. Otherwise, we defeat ourselves and we participate in the subtle violence that ultimately is the making of war. So Scott, thanks for showing up at the rally and writing the letter. You have an open invitation to inspire me.

Sincerely,

Joel Brotherton

Asheville, North Carolina

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