PhillySound: new poetry

Belgrade Pride will march in the streets for queer pride and tolerance this coming Sunday. This, despite graffiti PROMISING violence against the marchers. The Serbian Orthodox Church claims that it does not support the impending violence against the group, yet also has told the news that the march is akin to "Sodom and Gomorrah." Similarly, president Boris Tadic REFUSES to endorse the march, claiming to uphold Serbia's laws against discrimination. The violence is clearly sanctioned by both church and state indirectly, and if I had the money I'd be over there right now to march with them!

In fact if I had the money I'd fly over there with me the remaining members of the Philly Gay Mafia, the vicious, tough guys who used to patrol and protect our streets in the Philadelphia queer community back in the 1980s when violence against us was practically encouraged by police.

My hope is that the marchers are as ready as they possibly can be for what is about to happen to them. My hope too is that the government takes action to at the very least protect the marchers in their simple act of walking together in the streets. The violence to come has literally been written on the walls of Belgrade.

In solidarity with Belgrade Pride,
CAConrad