In September 2009, Madison APOC made its grand entrance into the world with an action against David Carter, a self-proclaimed historian who denies any significant participation of trans folk and people of color in Stonewall. He also frames the queer liberation movement in the U.S. as a gay white man’s movement, not to mention he shit-talks Sylvia and Marsha to no end… (feel free to Google his name and read the transcripts of his speeches.) The University of Wisconsin-Madison had invited Carter to speak on campus, and as the room started to fill with white intellectuals and college students, madAPOC got into position and…
“Trans, women, POC– you can’t write us out of history!”
Copies of a communique were thrown into the air and scattered across the lecture room. It read:
We are a group of autonomous individuals collectively known as APOC (Anarchist / Autonomous / Anti-Authoritarian People of Color). We are not affiliated with any other local groups or organizations. We strive to smash every form of oppression, including white supremacy, patriarchy, ableism, heterosexism, speciesism, transphobia, queerphobia, environmental racism, ageism, classism and authoritarianism. This is our response to this fake historian’s “interpretation” of history.
The Stonewall uprising was a series of actions by queer and transfolk, both whites and people of color. The queer and trans population of Greenwich Village acted boldly to defend themselves against police brutality in their own neighborhood.
We are disgusted by David Carter’s blatant racism and transphobia. Transfolk, women, and people of color have been crucial to not only the Stonewall uprising, but also to the bigger struggle for queer and trans liberation. With his interpretation, Carter has attempted to write us out of our own history. If he takes it upon himself to talk about a movement, he should be held accountable for getting that shit right. Queer insurrection is not only for white males, and we are here to make sure he doesn’t forget it.
David Carter, we hope you get what you deserve.
Love, APOC
Smack em all, let’s spread the Madness. WE’LL SEE YOU IN MILWAUKEE!
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