Occupy DC and Marriage Equality in California

This week has had its downs and ups as Occupy DC was dispossessed of its commune space in McPherson Square, and the Ninth Circuit Court declared Proposition 8 unconstitutional.  Both of these events are relevant to me.  In November, when I was in Washington, DC for the Keystone XL Pipeline demonstration, I visited Occupy DC twice: once in the evening and once in the morning before I hopped the Metro to Reagan International to catch my flight home to California.  As for Proposition 8 here in California, both John and I participated in a candle light vigil in Sacramento that moved from the steps of the Capitol to the State Supreme Court building.  Then I attended a "Meeting in the Middle" rally in Fresno later in the summer of 2009.  In DC I was at the Occupy site in McPherson Plaza on the evening following our Keystone XL Pipe Line action.  It was joyous and fresh at the commune.  No rats.  There was spontaneous drumming and a young man danced in perfect rhythm to the beat in the subdued lighting that evening.  On the next morning I stopped by to have a cup of coffee.  I met my friend Theo and we policed the commune to pick up cigarette butts.  There were tents and Occupy members were just waking up.  I spent some time at the commune library and talked with the monitor of the commune central booth where I purchased an Occupy DC button.

Both the Occupy Movement and the movement for the extension of marriage equality to GLBT people cut against the grain of the ruling elites.  Occupy threatens the capitalist class power by modeling an alternative to class exploitation.  Gay rights is less of a class issue than one that is used as a wedge to divide and manipulate the working class.  As such, it remains a vital tool for maintaining capitalist class dominance.  The threat of Occupy becomes apparent when it is seen that Congressman Darrell Issa, Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, found it necessary to call a special session of his committee in order to decry the threat of rats at Occupy DC.  Occupy DC was portrayed for the media as a health issue.  In reality, the only health that is threatened by Occupy is the class status of the capitalist ruling elites whom Congressman Issa serves.  I'm certain there are rats in DC.  Moreover, I'm equally certain that the permanent residents of our Capitol would appreciate the newly emerging interest in eradicating rats in their neighborhoods.  But that wasn't really the issue.