dedicated to my dear friend and rebel rouser Keith Gann, 1958-1990
On July 1, 2022, the Florida legislation known as the “Don’t say gay” law went into effect. A lesbian teacher is forbidden to say she has a wife if her third-grade students ask if she is married. An elementary-age school girl who has two dads cannot tell anyone at school. A principal can out a gay student to their family even if that student is not out at home. This rule is expanding to all grades. States across the United States are following Florida’s lead.
…if it is of such a nature that [the machine of government] requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law.
Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience
Let us all say it together
GAY!
Louder. Let them hear it from Florida to Alaska
GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY
We affirm the beauty of samesexness
Gay love is gaylove and it is love
Queerlove is alive and well in this America
Queersamesex love is the thread that stiches this our Republic whole
We menlovingmenwomenlovingwomenbilovinggenderqueerloving beauties have always been and will always be
You cannot pass a law to make us disappear
We are alive and we love and oh my god
WE ARE LOVE
Bilove—menlove—womenlove—we are the full goddamned spectrum of LOVE.
So legislate that.
Legislate that all love is sacred
Legislate that lesbiangaybigenderqueer love is the national treasure
Legislate parks and national registries and museums and archives and save the menlovingmenwomenlovingwomenbilovinggenderqueerloving beauties with the care of saving the Bald Eagle
Erect statues through the land of men kissing men, women kissing women, all the permutations of queer love kissing one another made into marble and bronze to tell every budding little queer soul for generations to come that they are beautiful, they are cherished, they are fucking loved
Legislate that
Queerlove is in our souls and souls need to be free
We will love lusty the way Walt Whitman taught us
souls open to love
arms open to love
thighs open to love
mouths and eyes and ears and every single cell of our body electric open to love
Love is our past
Love is our present
Love is our future
Love is our nature
Love is global
When we say GAY, we say LOVE
We fancy-free menlovingmenwomenlovingwomenbilovinggenderqueerloving beauties are a glorious fireball and our delicious light will never be put out
Michael Kiesow Moore