Wednesday, October 14, 2009

From Erica: here, queer, and apparently invisible

So on October 11, 2009, there was a 75,000-person rally held in Washington, DC to promote the rights of LGBTQI individuals to serve openly in the US military. This is the first I heard about it:

The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Queer and Loathing in D.C.
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show
Full Episodes
Political HumorRon Paul Interview

That's right. The first I heard about it was on a comedy news show the next day. Not only on a comedy news show in general, but on a segment on that comedy news show that was poking fun of news networks (particularly Fox) for failing to give the event any coverage at all. And three days later, neither Google searches nor searches on individual news websites turn up anything more than a few short articles or minute-long video segments about the march (I'm looking at you, ABC, CNN, and Fox).

When the tea parties were being hosted across the US to protest Obama and his push for health care reform, the media couldn't get enough of it. Don't Ask, Don't Tell is getting some media coverage, but apparently 75,000 queers and allies on the Washington Mall listening to discharged military members speak passionately about the need to reform the government's homo- and bi-phobia isn't enough to get all of us hot and bothered.

We're here. We're queer. But 15 years after the signing of Don't Ask, Don't Tell into law, you still can't stand to let us have our voice.

1 comment:

  1. But the media hadn't asked the protesters anything, so they assumed the protesters had nothing to tell. That's logical, right?

    Sarcasm aside - I had the same experience! I didn't find out about the protest until I watched the Daily Show online yesterday. Ironic, considering how many people I know who insist the media is simply blowing the gay rights movement out of proportion.

    ReplyDelete