ACT UP!

 

I am glad that Prague, following the example of other metropolises, joined the Act Up movement and, as in other European cities, it is you who are restoring the origins of Pride, which was a sharp critique of society, a political protest, that was a riot without which the rainbow society would be not where it is today.

In order for any criticism and effort to change to become productive, it is necessary to start from the inside out and not the other way around. It is crucial to articulate the information so well that everyone understands it. Proper wording is the key to successful communication in a functioning relationship, community, activism and politics.

Like the majority society, the LGBTIQ + community, whether someone thinks belongs to it or not, suffers from ignorance, prejudice, intolerance, phobias and, yes, racism, even if it is latent.

So how to reform and build a community that, although a minority, is not united in opinion?

The answer is to be able to have alternatives and to listen to each other, to be open to differences, development and to respect each other.

 We need to realize and respect that there are LGBTIQ + people who do not want to have anything to do with the community and their goal is to fit in as much as possible in a heteronormative society. There are LGBTIQ + people and their allies who stand for the community, even if only once a year, express their attitude and acceptance of society through the mainstream. Among them are people who are satisfied with the way things are, as well as activists who follow the path of gradual development and negotiate with society, only if the society is ready to process and accept the information or change at a given moment. Both these two groups and society itself should realize and again respect that there is a third group within the community that wants and has the right to be heard.

It's you, it's me, there are hundreds of thousands of people around the world, it's a growing voice and thanks to the new and I believe that the more open generation of people for whom the current situation, dictionary, scheme and legislative is insufficient, unsatisfactory or even dangerous, and this voice, has no time to gradual change, they (we) will not be satisfied with waiting  whole live until society is ready. We want our rights and dignity now. Our voice calls for urgent change, reform of the law, demands for basic human rights around the world, protests against all forms of violence, homophobia, transphobia, racism,  breaks down prejudices and removes stigmas.

Pride was absolutely important half a century ago, just as important today and will be important every other year until the cis gender heteronormative majority treats us as a equal and not from a place of supremacy.

As a minority, therefore, we must be seen and heard… .. We cannot be satisfied , or we cannot be told that we should be satisfied with the fact that a few laws have changed,  that we are not a disease of society and we have a kind of registration instead of marriage. Changing the laws is just the beginning. Changing the law will not change society.

I never chose to be an activist of my own, but without activism, I would become a hypocrite of my own convictions and take on the role of a victim.

I'm not a victim

I'm not a threat

I'm no one less

I'm a Queer artist

I am a non-binary

I'm HIV positive

I'm proud of who I am

I am as beautiful as I am

I'm human

My name is Martin Kámen

When I look at the path built by our oldest Queer generation, I see a lot of similarities with today in the past and I see a long way ahead of us.

And therefore we have to

Act up!