The Lesbians on Fifth Avenue

Luca and Maxine.

One of  my favorite moments each  year - 

The Church  Ladies and other  adoring fans come applaud.

Serenading the  lesbians making  their way down fifth Ave.

The lesbians everywhere, some  of the avenging or  revolting kind,  most of the  intersectional,  analytic type.

Dykes on bikes.

Dyke against deportation. 

Carrying the signs.

Friends from parts  unknown.

Former  students.

Comrades.

Organizers.

Wearing cool t shirts.

"Vagina is for lovers."

There is Lisa Fithian, who just finished  her new book, about decades of direct action.

And Jennifer of the Center  for  Popular Democracy.

And  Caroline  from  my Capital  Reading  Group.

And Maxine,  hero from ACT UP.

And Laurie with movement signs.

Church Ladies, WHAM, ACT UPers there  to cheer.

Donald can't wear the habit. 

So Karen  puts it on. 

"You're still wearing your outfit from last night," she tells me. 

Snap.

“They really like this,” said Nora as we sang for them,

Snapping pictures of us singing for them.

"God is a lesbian."

I guess everyone needs to be adored.

Everyone needs to be seen.

Everyone needs applause.

Everyone needs to assert themselves from time to time.

“The New York City Dyke March is a protest march, not a parade.

The March is a demonstration of our First Amendment right to protest and takes place without permits or sponsors. We recognize that we must organize among ourselves to fight for our rights, safety, and visibility.

Thousands of Dykes take the streets each year in celebration of our beautiful and diverse Dyke lives, to highlight the presence of Dykes within our community, and in protest of the discrimination, harassment, and violence we face in schools, on the job, and in our communities.

Any person who identifies as a dyke is welcome to march regardless of gender expression or identity, sex assigned at birth, sexual orientation, race, age, political affiliation, religious identity, ability, class, or immigration status.

We ask that our allies respect the march as a space for self identified dykes by supporting us from the sidewalks, or by celebrating with us at the culmination of our protest in Washington Square Park.”

Luca and Maxine.