So Proud of my Girls
There are very few moments in history where a nation, with all its colors, races, religions,denominations, socio-economic classes are able to engage in an event as monumental as a revolution.
'We', the gay community, are no exception.
This post is about three wonderful examples of our community, whose role and involvement in this revolution was not only examplary, but also inspirational.
They have inspired me and many others to go on and march and believe that change is coming and that we must be part of it and that we are in fact part of it.
I can not imagine myself doing anything at all to do with the struggle for freedom and justice without them.
I, and so many other, owe our participation and sense of camaraderie, to those inspirational characters.
They are our heroes, and for that they deserve an honourable mention in this blog.
The Bohemian Artist
The archetype of this story leaves little to the imagination. He is the typical bohemian artist. He has more wine than furniture, antique silverware but no sofa, and an exquisite collection of Hamalyian salt but no bread.
Everything to do with excess and fulfills our fantasy of the 'crazy artist' is clearly emobdied in the hero of this story.
No one expected him to not only participate, but to become a central figure of those involved in this revolution.
I have known my bohemian artist for over a decade, longer than I care to remember. And knowing him so well, I have to admit that I was floored, stunned, to see this level of activism, involvement, fearlessness that he showed.
Since the very first day of the revolution, he opened his house, the artist lair, to complete random strangers who needed shelter. He cooked vegetarian food for the revolutionaries and distributed sweets and rare delicacies for those stranded and with no supplies. He tirelessly filmed and recorded police brutality and sent it to every major newspaper in the world. He used his extensive contact list to spread the truth about the extent of viciousness and vengeance the regime went to, to suppress the revolution. He risked his own life when snipers fired at his place and threw tear gas bombs on his balcony as he refused to move somewhere safer.
When I urged him to leave Tahrir and go stay with his parents, he told me if I leave, who will spread the truth about what is really happening?
He used every possible cyber forum and social network tool to inspire, instigate people to break their apathy and their fear and pushed them to act.
His moral outrage against the regime went beyond politics and rose to the level of humanness that I have not seen before.
For his fearless and extraordinary courage, for his generosity of spirit, for his love of mankind and his own kind, the Bohemian Artist deserves to be at the very top of this honour list.
The Jewish Princess
As any human phenomenon, homosexuality is universal. It cuts across class and across ethnicity and across socio-economic strata. The way a gay community is organized might be according to a particular social paradigm (classist, ethnic, religious,...etc).
Our community is no exception. It is strictly divided according to class and social status.
And the story of this girl (and by girl I mean boy) is inspiring in many ways than one.
My hero, or rather heroine, has blood bluer than the Danube, and if anyone I know deserve the title, old bourgeoisie, she would take it with little or no competition.
As such, the marriage of class and economics is inevitable, and belonging to this minute segment, she and her class stand to lose the most by our revolution.
It is no secret how sensitive financial markets are to the political and social systems they exist in, and those who operate solely within those domains are the ones first to suffer any instability or chaos. My princess was royalty, but like all true royalty, she refused to be swayed by narrow capitalistic and class interest and was one of the very first people to march on the street on the 25th of January.
She went above and beyond the call of duty, the expected duty of someone of her stature, and risked the ire of her peers and cohort and insisted that this is her moment to speak against injustice and to finally support the people that have long been oppressed by this tyrannical regime.
She risked her life, being beaten, arrested, and even the excommunication of her elitist society, and marched and marched, and talked for endless hours about the future of this revolution and why it matters and why it should continue in spite and despite of the interest of the capitalist minority. One that she belongs to.
Again, and again, dressed in designer jeans and looking immaculate, she squeezed herself in the swarms of Tahrir protesters, and went beyond her Jewishness and cheered for our glorious revolution.
She graced us with her presence, and defended the principles of justice and freedom against the better judgement of her class and clout.
For her fearless and tireless efforts to be involved, to be engaged, to be present, she deserved an honourable mention in this blog and a bow for this community.
The Unexpected Activist
The hero of this story surprised us by the tenacity of his approach and his unfaltering perseverance. I have long admired him for his magnificent argumentative talents that would put any sophist to shame and his uncanny ability as a logician. An impressive intellect that could stand its ground and argue its way through anything.
But none of us expected him to direct those talents at inspiring and instigating action. My Sagittarius heroine, spared no one the wrath of her rational indignation and every day around the hour, her Facebook was engorged with statuses ranging from 'O Rise Ye Faithful' to 'Becursed those who falter'.
My heroine was on the streets of Tahrir almost everyday, cheering, hollering, inciting, and demanding regime change. She conversed, dialogued, discussed with her fellow revolutionaries, and in her presence, and in her moral integrity she gave us all hope and made us all proud to be together and to be there.
My Sagittarius instigator reminded us, again and again, why we as a community matter.
And for that, and for her indefatigable efforts to unite everyone around one cause she proved to us that we are part of this society, that we should take part in this society, that our voice and presence is just as important as everyone else.
For this she deserved a honorary tribute and a salute from me and everyone.
'We', the gay community, are no exception.
This post is about three wonderful examples of our community, whose role and involvement in this revolution was not only examplary, but also inspirational.
They have inspired me and many others to go on and march and believe that change is coming and that we must be part of it and that we are in fact part of it.
I can not imagine myself doing anything at all to do with the struggle for freedom and justice without them.
I, and so many other, owe our participation and sense of camaraderie, to those inspirational characters.
They are our heroes, and for that they deserve an honourable mention in this blog.
The Bohemian Artist
The archetype of this story leaves little to the imagination. He is the typical bohemian artist. He has more wine than furniture, antique silverware but no sofa, and an exquisite collection of Hamalyian salt but no bread.
Everything to do with excess and fulfills our fantasy of the 'crazy artist' is clearly emobdied in the hero of this story.
No one expected him to not only participate, but to become a central figure of those involved in this revolution.
I have known my bohemian artist for over a decade, longer than I care to remember. And knowing him so well, I have to admit that I was floored, stunned, to see this level of activism, involvement, fearlessness that he showed.
Since the very first day of the revolution, he opened his house, the artist lair, to complete random strangers who needed shelter. He cooked vegetarian food for the revolutionaries and distributed sweets and rare delicacies for those stranded and with no supplies. He tirelessly filmed and recorded police brutality and sent it to every major newspaper in the world. He used his extensive contact list to spread the truth about the extent of viciousness and vengeance the regime went to, to suppress the revolution. He risked his own life when snipers fired at his place and threw tear gas bombs on his balcony as he refused to move somewhere safer.
When I urged him to leave Tahrir and go stay with his parents, he told me if I leave, who will spread the truth about what is really happening?
He used every possible cyber forum and social network tool to inspire, instigate people to break their apathy and their fear and pushed them to act.
His moral outrage against the regime went beyond politics and rose to the level of humanness that I have not seen before.
For his fearless and extraordinary courage, for his generosity of spirit, for his love of mankind and his own kind, the Bohemian Artist deserves to be at the very top of this honour list.
The Jewish Princess
As any human phenomenon, homosexuality is universal. It cuts across class and across ethnicity and across socio-economic strata. The way a gay community is organized might be according to a particular social paradigm (classist, ethnic, religious,...etc).
Our community is no exception. It is strictly divided according to class and social status.
And the story of this girl (and by girl I mean boy) is inspiring in many ways than one.
My hero, or rather heroine, has blood bluer than the Danube, and if anyone I know deserve the title, old bourgeoisie, she would take it with little or no competition.
As such, the marriage of class and economics is inevitable, and belonging to this minute segment, she and her class stand to lose the most by our revolution.
It is no secret how sensitive financial markets are to the political and social systems they exist in, and those who operate solely within those domains are the ones first to suffer any instability or chaos. My princess was royalty, but like all true royalty, she refused to be swayed by narrow capitalistic and class interest and was one of the very first people to march on the street on the 25th of January.
She went above and beyond the call of duty, the expected duty of someone of her stature, and risked the ire of her peers and cohort and insisted that this is her moment to speak against injustice and to finally support the people that have long been oppressed by this tyrannical regime.
She risked her life, being beaten, arrested, and even the excommunication of her elitist society, and marched and marched, and talked for endless hours about the future of this revolution and why it matters and why it should continue in spite and despite of the interest of the capitalist minority. One that she belongs to.
Again, and again, dressed in designer jeans and looking immaculate, she squeezed herself in the swarms of Tahrir protesters, and went beyond her Jewishness and cheered for our glorious revolution.
She graced us with her presence, and defended the principles of justice and freedom against the better judgement of her class and clout.
For her fearless and tireless efforts to be involved, to be engaged, to be present, she deserved an honourable mention in this blog and a bow for this community.
The Unexpected Activist
The hero of this story surprised us by the tenacity of his approach and his unfaltering perseverance. I have long admired him for his magnificent argumentative talents that would put any sophist to shame and his uncanny ability as a logician. An impressive intellect that could stand its ground and argue its way through anything.
But none of us expected him to direct those talents at inspiring and instigating action. My Sagittarius heroine, spared no one the wrath of her rational indignation and every day around the hour, her Facebook was engorged with statuses ranging from 'O Rise Ye Faithful' to 'Becursed those who falter'.
My heroine was on the streets of Tahrir almost everyday, cheering, hollering, inciting, and demanding regime change. She conversed, dialogued, discussed with her fellow revolutionaries, and in her presence, and in her moral integrity she gave us all hope and made us all proud to be together and to be there.
My Sagittarius instigator reminded us, again and again, why we as a community matter.
And for that, and for her indefatigable efforts to unite everyone around one cause she proved to us that we are part of this society, that we should take part in this society, that our voice and presence is just as important as everyone else.
For this she deserved a honorary tribute and a salute from me and everyone.
Comments
Love u all