queeries

Did something tonight which was random even for me. Went to an HREOC public forum, Same-Sex: Same Entitlements. Not a topic that regularly crosses my mind, but one I realise is important irrespective of personal relevance. Wanted to hear what people had to say, to be inspired - if not by the content then at least by the knowledge that somebody's doing something about it. (Yeah, mine's precisely the kind of attitude that does not progress make.)

Venue was Lotteries House, next to City West train stn and backing onto this beautiful-by-day-I'm-sure-but-creepy-after-dark park, where I sat for a good hour, reading by street lights The Symposium (can ancient Greeks be any more gay...) while trying to convince self-conscious self that she could walk in there with confidence and cool. The anxiety was totally unexpected; after all I've been spotted in naughtier establishments. I suppose it's different to come upon ppl not there to have fun, but rather to share difficult experiences, to voice their indignation, and to have all that subjected to public scrutiny. Maybe I felt intimidated, and somewhat like a fraud, who has trouble enough finishing assignments on time, making a little spare cash, occupying her mind with trivia, and such, to find time for getting appropriately outraged by any number of the outrageous things going on around her.

When at last I made my entrance, I found to my unsurprised disappointment less than 30 ppl in attendance. Mostly middle-aged folk, no one from other side of fence let alone fervent objectors (which would've for one thing spiced things up a bit, and for another indicated wider community awareness and concern). All the usual problems were raised and noted and left dangling with no quick-fix. But - many spoke and everyone who did was eloquent and earnest and uncrazy and made for persuasive advocates - if only they weren't preaching to the converted. Anyhow, I got what I went for.