| PageOneQ Pridelets for August 19
by
Thomas Allen Heald
 ON THIS DAY
On this day in 2004, activist Michael Rogers outs anti-gay conservative
congressman Ed Schrock on his website Blogactive.com. The most damning
claim is served up August 30, with his proof available for all to
download, Schrock's voice message to a local gay dating phone line --
proof corroborated by two Hill staffers who confirm that it's the
congressman's voice. Schrock drops out of his reelection campaign two
weeks after the first allegations are made.
Meanwhile in New Jersey, also on this day in 2004, in a remarkably poor
choice of words defending the newly out Governor James McGreevey against
charges of sexual harassment made by "the other man," N.J. Sports
Authority president George R. Zoffinger suggests that "When Golan Cipel
took on the governor, he bit on more than he could chew."
BIRTHGAYS (and the occasional straights)
* 1883 - Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel
* 1686 - Italian composer Nicola Porpora
* 1933 - Activist / writer David Rothernberg
* 1952 - Former "Advocate" editor Mark Thompson
DUELING Q.UOTES
"I need a conservative candidate all the way who would say to a gay
woman: 'You know what? I'm very sorry for your children. I think it's
child abuse for you to raise children.'” -- Right-wing shock jock host
Michael Savage
"I need to be able to walk out of my door and see a same-sex biracial
couple walking down the street holding hands. That makes me feel
safe.”-- Musician Steve Earle
THE BEDSIDE TABLE
"Jack Nichols, Gay Pioneer: 'Have You Heard My Message?'" by J. Louis
Campbell
The story of a man who fought to leave a better world than he found
One of the founders of the gay and lesbian liberation movement, Jack
Nichols was a warrior for gay equality. Jack Nichols, Gay Pioneer: "Have
You Heard My Message?" is his story, blending the man, the movement, and
the moment into a memory of his life's work. This powerful biography
captures the wisdom, passion, and spirit of a man who refused to be
silent at a time when even gay thoughts were considered by society to be
a crime of the soul.
As a journalist, activist, co-founder of the Mattachine Societies of
Washington, DC, and Florida, and editor of the first gay weekly
newspaper in the United States, Jack Nichols left a legacy of gay
rights, gay pride, and tremendous courage. Jack Nichols, Gay Pioneer:
"Have You Heard My Message?" charts the life of this vastly important
figure from his childhood in the suburbs of Washington, DC, to his final
impassioned days in a Florida cancer treatment center in 2005. Braided
throughout this crucial text is not only the history of the man, but
also the ideas he used to bring the movement to critical mass and the
sources of those ideas so influential to all of his work--before
Stonewall and after, during the AIDS epidemic, and beyond. Here is
everything from the early influence of Burns and Whitman to Nichols's
revolutionary relationship with Lige Clark to the integration of
androgyny and anarchism into his activist philosophy. It is the story of
a prolific activist and inspirational human being.
Among the many important topics detailed in Jack Nichols, Gay Pioneer:
"Have You Heard My Message?" are his:
Family history and its unique influence on his activist tendencies
Relationship with Lige Clark becoming "the most famous homosexuals in
America"
Plan for the social construction of androgyny
Attack on the psychiatric establishment's theory of homosexuality as a
"sickness"
Work and vision in men's liberation
Groundbreaking editorship of American's first gay weekly newspaper, GAY
use of Walt Whitman as the "fountainhead" of the homosexual movement
Incorporation of anarchistic theory into his economic and gender ideas
and countless more!
Thoughtful and moving, Jack Nichols, Gay Pioneer: "Have You Heard My
Message?" is a compelling look at the man and the movement.
With a wealth of hard-to-find summaries of underground gay journalism,
detailed references, personal photographs, and a complete bibliography
of Nichols's major writings, Jack Nichols, Gay Pioneer: "Have You Heard
My Message?" is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in the
history and future of LGBT movements, as well as students, educators,
and researchers seeking a comprehensive and thorough treatment of this
revolutionary figure.
This work is copyright© 2007 Thomas Allen Heald, all rights all rights
reserved. Brought to you by the power, passion, and pride of
PageOneQ.com. Additional material provided by publishers. Contact the
author at tom@idontgetit.org. Archives may be found at Pridelets.com.
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Originally published on Sunday August 19, 2007.
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