By Joanie Juster–
‘See the Quilt and Understand’
In the early days of the AIDS Memorial Quilt we had a slogan: See the Quilt and Understand. In those days, the general public had little knowledge of AIDS. There was fear, and misinformation, and stigma. The Quilt, created out of both rage at the government’s response to the pandemic, and raw, overwhelming grief at the losses we suffered, put a human face on this urgent public health crisis. People all across our country saw the thousands of handmade panels that individuals made to memorialize their loved ones, and began to understand the toll of the disease in human terms.
On June 11 and 12 we are commemorating the 35th anniversary of the AIDS Memorial Quilt with the largest display ever seen in San Francisco. The free public display will take place from 10 am to 5 pm each day in Robin Williams Meadow. An opening ceremony and traditional Quilt unfolding will start at 9:30 am on June 11, followed by the continuous reading of names of lives lost to AIDS on both days. There will be a closing ceremony at 4 pm on Sunday, June 12, where newly-made panels will be presented and added to the Quilt.
I made my first panel for the Quilt in 1988, to remember my friend David Percival. I’ve made several others since then, and am trying to finish others in time for the June display. Since 1989, I have coordinated the reading of names at displays in San Francisco and Washington, D.C. As visitors look at the panels, they hear the names being read. The names provide a profound audio counterpart to the visual impact of the Quilt. And so many people find that taking part in the reading of names is a deeply emotional, transformative experience.
I will never forget a woman I met while reading the names at a Quilt display in Washington, D.C., in 2012. She came across our display while walking through the National Mall, and stopped at our Reader tent, in tears. She told me, “My brother died of AIDS 20 years ago, and no one will talk about it. No one says his name. I can’t talk about it with anyone.” At our Quilt display, she found a safe place where she could say her beloved brother’s name aloud, and honor him with dignity. She found a place where people understood her experience, and her grief.
Come see the Quilt on June 11 and 12, and understand. And help us remember their names. https://www.aidsmemorial.org/quilt35
If It’s Rainbow It Must Be Pride Month
Market Street is lined with rainbow flags, the Pink Triangle is ablaze and a-flutter on Twin Peaks, storefronts are filled with rainbow-washed merchandise: it must be Pride Month. And after two years of virtual events, San Francisco seems ready to party—the calendar is jam-packed with Pride-themed events throughout the month.
This month’s calendar is also filled with activism, from this week’s California primary election to increasingly revved-up preparations for the midterm elections, to the nation-wide march against gun violence on June 11, to the fact that the Supreme Court traditionally releases its opinions in late June. There will be plenty of opportunities for hitting the streets and making our voices heard.
March Against Gun Violence
The funerals of 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, had hardly started on June 1 when word came out of another mass shooting, in a hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma. And the mayhem continues every day, despite the fact that across the country the outcry against gun violence is becoming too loud for even recalcitrant lawmakers to ignore. People are crying out for meaningful, effective change to our gun laws, and we must hold our elected officials accountable.
On Saturday, June 11, March for Our Lives is organizing a huge rally in Washington, D.C., and hundreds of solidarity marches have been taking place across the country with more to come. There are several in the Bay Area, including one on June 6 that started at the Golden Gate Bridge Toll Plaza in San Francisco. Participants marched across the bridge from 9 am to 10 am, many wearing orange. The significance of that color for the marches dates to at least 2013, when 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton was shot and killed in Chicago in a case of mistaken identity. Friends mourning her loss chose the color orange because hunters traditionally wear that color to avoid being shot by other hunters.
More details about this month’s marches: http://sdl.fm/10heh3
The Supreme Court and You
The Supreme Court generally releases the majority of its decisions in mid-to-late June. This year, all eyes will be on these decisions, especially after the recent leak regarding SCOTUS’ upcoming decision on abortion rights. Fundamental rights that affect all of us are at stake.
One useful place to follow these issues and learn more about the inner workings of the Supreme Court is SCOTUSblog. SCOTUSblog is devoted to covering the U.S. Supreme Court comprehensively, without bias and according to the highest journalistic and legal ethical standards. The blog is provided as a public service. While following landmark cases like United States v Windsor (which declared the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional) and Obergefell v Hodges (the case that gave same-sex couples the right to marry), following SCOTUSblog became a daily obsession and indispensable tool. Stay on top of the new from the Court here: https://www.scotusblog.com/
International Queer Women of Color Film Festival
While Frameline may be the biggest local film festival during Pride month, it is not the only one that serves the LGBTQ+ community. The 18th Annual International Queer Women of Color Film Festival will take place at the Presidio Theatre June 10–12, and tickets are free! This year’s festival features 35 films in 5 screenings. One of the featured films is, Jewelle: A Just Vision, a new film that features the art and activism of San Francisco Bay Times columnist and noted author and playwright Jewelle Gomez. This world premiere will be followed by a talk with Jewelle herself and director Madeleine Lim, moderated by Ruth McFarlane, Esq.
The International Queer Women of Color Film Festival is the public face of the Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project’s work, which combines film, art, activism, and community building to engage communities to think critically about their relationship to movements for social justice. Get your tickets here: https://tinyurl.com/QWCFF22
Joanie Juster is a long-time community volunteer, activist, and ally.
Published on June 9, 2022
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