Advocate.comWe're Here, We're Queer, We Are the 99%By Julie Bolcer|Posted on
Advocate.com October 06, 2011 07:00:00 AM ET
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A stroll last Friday through the mini tent city of Zuccotti Park in downtown Manhattan revealed none of the classic signifiers of LGBT activism. There, amid the mattresses and recliners, the communal kitchen and library of donated books, no Pride flags or pink triangles could be seen. Nor did anyone utter the letters "LGBT" over the "people's mic," the call-and-response technique occupiers have devised for amplification in lieu of a city permit for a real microphone.
Occupy Wall Street is a protest against economic inequities in which LGBT participants seem to be playing a more fully integrated role. In a series of interviews, activists, most of whom self-identified with the word "queer," reported feeling visible and incorporated into the whole of the occupation, even as they remain mindful of the unique challenges they face because of ongoing discrimination in the broader society.
