Could We All Be Better Off Dead?

COULD WE ALL BE BETTER OFF DEAD?
Do not act as though our loneliness is a
great surprise, for you feast on our sorrow
and revel in our fear, you great Fatted Calves
of the rotten, breeding world
A WORK IN THREE MOVEMENTS

I (10:11)
II (6:51)
III (7:54)

"Tompkins Square Park, Labor Day. At an annual outdoor
concert/drag show, a group of gay men were harassed by teens
carrying sticks. In the midst of thousands of gay men and
lesbians, these straight boys beat two gay men to the
ground, then stood around triumphantly laughing amongst
themselves. The emcee was alerted and warned the crowd from
the stage, "You girls be careful. When you dress up it
drives the boys crazy," as if it were a practical joke
inspired by what the victims were wearing rather than a
pointed attack on anyone and everyone at that event.
What would it have taken for that crowd to stand up to
its attackers?
After James Zappalorti, an openly gay man, was murdered
in cold blood on Staten Island this winter, a single
demonstration was held in protest. Only one hundred people
came. When Yuseuf Hawkins, a black youth, was shot to death
for being on "white turf" in Bensonhurst, African Americans
marched through that neighborhood in large numbers again and
again. A black person was killed BECAUSE HE WAS BLACK, and
people of color throughout the city recognized it and acted
on it. The bullet that hit Hawkins was meant for a black
man, ANY black man. Do most gays and lesbians think that
the knife that punctured Zappalorti's heart was meant only
for him?
The straight world has us so convinced that we are
helpless and deserving victims of the violence against us,
that queers are immobilized when faced with a threat. BE
OUTRAGED! These attacks must not be tolerated. DO
SOMETHING. Recognize that any act of aggression against any
member of our community is an attack on every member of the
community. The more we allow homophobes to inflict
violence, terror and fear on our lives, the more frequently
and ferociously we will be the object of their hatred."

- taken from "QUEERS READ THIS," a leaflet distributed
at pride march in NY; Published anonymously by Queers, June, 1990

on this recording, fire island, AK is:

electric guitars, punches, vocals, stomping,
distortion/delay/reverb pedals, feedback,
contact mic, glass slide, medicine bottle

WRITTEN/PERFORMED BY fire island, AK EXCEPT:

contains portions of Ellen, CNNNN, Fox News interview,
BOYS BEWARE (1959), sermon by Fred Phelps (14SEPT01)