merecemos paz

We deserve peace.

It was a sign - the first word in black sequins and the second on the back of the sign in green sequins - carried by a member of the Transunidos contingent at the May First march for immigrants this morning here in SF. I was so happy to see this contingent-- in my last job I worked hard on documentation and did other support for dozens of travesti asylum cases, and it is these immigrants who often come to mind for me when people discuss the pros and cons of immigrants in the US. The Transunidos contingent was only about six women, but they had a great big gorgeous banner along with a US flag and the "merecemos paz" sequin-bedecked sign. They were a beautiful sight. And while other contingents were angry or somber or intesely earnest, they were dancing and cracking jokes and laughing. In our quarter they were the ones piping up most often with chants, keeping rhythm with their safety whistles. I think they were more energetic and bouyant than others at the march partly because being out and present and labeled as transwomen was adding a dimension of joy and revelation and maybe even danger to their participation in the march. They were challenging the same powers that be that the other marchers were challenging, but also they were challenging the other marchers. This was not an explicitly safe place for transwomen, but they were taking the space and making it safe. A wave of pride and joy did hit me, watching this contingent of women flying the US flag and chanting in Spanish, and saying in sequins "we deserve peace." We all deserve it, but in particular these women deserve peace.


Quickly, other highlights:

- in the march, a middle aged white guy in glasses and a dress shirt and bow tie banging on a pot lid with a spoon, banging in time to "si se puede."

- girls with drums, it seemed like about one per city block of march, leading the chanting

- dykes heavily sprinkled about, kids of all ages sprinkled about

- the reclamation of the US flag as a symbol of resistance-- resistance to the government defining what makes someone belong here, contribute here, work here, deserve to be here

- "America Goes From Alaska to Argentina" and "Whose the Illegal, Pilgrim" and signs in various languages, mostly Spanish but also Chinese and Russian

- The chant (from the World Can't Wait contingent woman with a backpack and microphone): "who is the criminal - George Bush; are immigrants the criminals - hell no"

- running into an old pal from Challenging White Supremacy who said this looked to her like the biggest march she'd seen in SF. To go four blocks took the throng about an hour. It seemed like from start to finish the densely packed crowd took at least 3 1/2 hours to get entirely past the starting point. It reminded me - in size and density - of the anti-war march in March 2003, but this was a work day, so it seemed to me that it was more impressive, more powerful-- it will have an economic impact and therefore it might change things.

- noticing that while I'm happiest on a horse, I'm pretty darn happy marching in a mobilized throng of people down Market Street yelling and dancing.

- seeing someone I hadn't seen in many years, an Armenian refugee who I met as a 16 year old living at home and living in the closet, then just coming out as bisexual, now looking mature, strong and beautiful, wearing a suit and a smart bob-cut hair-do-- I didn't recognize her at first and had already gone past when I placed her. But the look on her face, watching this march from the sidewalk, probably taking a break from her office, seemed to be a mix of emotions -- something like joy and a kind of deep wonder.


Yes, Christina, this march was for you, too.