[Kicked out of the Gay and Lesbian Marriage Expo!]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1, 2004
OPERATION « DARK SIDE OF THE FAIRY »
THE PANTHERS ATTACK!
Montreal- Today, we swallowed down pink and black pills. Sadly, the dark overtook the pink, at the edge of the gay pride parade. Our lights burnt out in a moment of protest, but also in a moment of questioning. If we fell one by one in the middle of the party, it is in the memory of all the forgotten or hidden realities in this big gay nation: why do we avoid talking about conjugal violence in same sex couples? Suicide among queer youth? The under-representation of women and people of color in the so-called rainbow community? Homophobia that is still very present among youth? How pink capitalism is becoming more and more rabid and enrooted as the dominant model? Immaculate white male professionals, representing the patriarchal figure incarnate? etc. Does all of this make you dance?
Emotion was on the lips of the few people in agony, still capable of mumbling a few words. “I have had a hard time in my life dealing with the intolerance of others towards my homosexuality, but nothing was worse than intolerance of the gay community of my physical “defects”,” Michael managed to say to us in his last moments in the middle of this gay village, dominated by beauty-capital and/or the multitude of sculpted and hairless bodies.
An intense emotion also sparked from the confession of young Emma, as she lay on St. Catherine’s street. The gay and lesbian community has worked hard to develop an image of well-being, of celebrations and of beauty, behind which hides harsher realities, that according to Emma are censured. “I have experienced conjugal violence. But as a lesbian and a member of a community that is seeking recognition, I could not talk about this. It was like living a double taboo…,” she admitted in her last moments.
The Pink Panthers will rise up from the ashes once this silence is broken, once the gay community breaks out of its conformist thinking an its heterosexist tics (we do not want gay marriage at all cost!). We propose an imperfect life! Beings displaying all of our beauties and “ugliness”! Borderless sexualities, without labels! Yes, sex workers are our friends! We dream of one day seeing young boys skipping rope and dancing without being ridiculed! We also imagine Saturday morning cartoons that present same sex couples kissing!!! Yes other realities are possible!!!
-30-
To contact us : lespantheresroses@yahoo.ca
*Rue St-Catherine est, vers 15:00. Présence remarquée de la «Mort»,
porte-voix dans les mains et g-string entre les fesses, qu'on voit ici
énumérer les raisons des décès.
*Couple de mariées attiré par les cadavres qui lentement se putréfient
**************
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1, 2004
KICKED OUT OF THE GAY AND
LESBIAN MARRIAGE EXPO!
Montreal- It is with pride that on this day, the 1st of August, the Pink Panthers launch their campaign « I support gay divorce! » The timing was excellent since at the same time at the Centre St. Pierre, a salon for gay and lesbian marriage was being held. With this global campaign, a group of queer activists are suggesting that other forms of union than conjugal love exist, blessed or not by the state.
The Pink Panthers, joined for the occassion by their friends from Paris,* subtely joined the marriage salon at 3pm and installed an ordinary kiosque complete with information on advantages of free and/or multiple unions. To their surprise, those responsible for the event came to disturb the newly enaugurated campaign. The group was thrown out, after only 20 minutes in the salon, perhaps because of the slogan « I support gay divorce » written in large letters, or maybe because of the box installed to recuperate the wedding rings of those divorced.
The most important thing for the Pink Panthers was to put forward an alternative discourse on love, one alternative to that which monopolizes the media and advertising industries. As one of the parisian activists Bruno Dynamite explains, « conjugal love and marriage in particular are historical constructions, and not pre-destined. There exists a plethora of possibilities for affective unions, but our culture does not give them any space. » Among the examples given: love among three people or more, unions that blur the boundaries between lover/friend.
Otherwise, at a time where the gay community is strongly defending gay marriage, the Pink Panthers allow a questioning of this. « At the end of the 60s we applauded when Trudeau told the state to get out of the bedrooms of the nation, and strangly, now we applaud the state’s return, via marriage, into our love relationships, » adds a Panther from Montreal, proud of this systematic questioning.
* The Pink Panther movement is present in many large cities, such as Paris, Montreal, and Lisbonne.
-30-
To contact us : lespantheresroses@yahoo.ca
And click here to watch the video (in french...) inspired by this action.
--> 17:29/ Quicktime/ 20Mo
*Cérémonie de divorce devant le Centre St-Pierre, où avait lieu le premier
Salon du mariage gai et lesbien...