If attacks from this administration and the resulting protests continue at their current pace, I have to admit there is the potential that I’ll get arrested in the next few months. Perhaps even multiple times.
For an experienced activist like me, getting arrested is almost a badge of honor. My biggest concern would be making sure my dog is taken care of while I’m a political prisoner. You’ll hear me shouting “someone feed Joy!” as they take me away in handcuffs.
For many years I’ve only partially joked that when they come for me in the middle of the night, they had better bring the entire list of reasons why. I’ve been working on that list for over 40 years, so I want to be sure they don’t overlook anything.
Let’s review it, shall we? First, of course, I am openly gay. Not only that but I am an activist that helped form organizations like St Pete Pride and the LGBTQ+ Resource Center. I’ll be happy to be called an agitator if that helps. My outspokenness is an outright threat to homophobic bigots, so off to the slammer I go.
I’m also a journalist. Fascists know that words cut much more sharply than knives so silencing them becomes paramount. Honestly the so-called mainstream media so far has often been complicit in the right-wing nonsense, so you are going to have to look to independent outlets like Watermark Out News who strive to bring you non-biased coverage.
I’m also a long-term HIV survivor and yes, I admit that it takes thousands of dollars in medication to keep me alive each month — but are you really going to cut me off from those life-saving drugs because of some orange-faced buffoon? What good is the supposed best health care in the world if no one can afford it?
Well, they cut off HIV drugs we were providing to third world countries, condemning thousands to a completely preventable death, so I’m not confident it won’t happen here. What terrifies this administration is that I’m not shy about talking about HIV or advocating for those it affects. You can’t intimidate me with any stigmas because for me they don’t exist.
What they’d really like is if I sat down and shut up. However, anyone who has ever met me knows that is not happening on a social justice issue, especially HIV/AIDS.
I haven’t restricted my “agitation” to LGBTQ+ issues. A quick look through social media and you’ll see I was an active member of Occupy St. Pete and its spin off group “the Elders of Occupy.” I lost track of how many times I was marching around downtown St. Pete chanting “we are the 99%!”
I believe Occupy helped to mold the national conversation toward issues of wealth inequality. I came close to being arrested once when the Republican National Convention was here, but it turned into a friendly and lively conversation about the First Amendment with a local cop.
Usually if anyone has any doubt about my subversive activism all they need to know is that I am a Quaker, which is another reason I’m probably headed to jail. I’m the clerk of the Peace, Social Concerns and Outreach committee for the St. Pete Meeting. Going back to the 1600’s, Quakers were not at all shy about being jailed for their beliefs and convictions.
I have 400 years of civil disobedience behind me. Do you think I’d back down now?
Quakers are pacifists at our core. That comes from a belief that there is God in everyone and killing denies that existence. We dig deep into our silent worship and from that silence comes our commitment to social justice.
Quakers helped produce the March on Washington in the 60s and the Women’s March recently and are currently involved with the complex issues in Israel and Palestine and are speaking boldly and sensitively about women’s reproductive rights.
Right now we are carefully discerning how we might non-violently overthrow a government. We’d love your thoughts.
Quakers have spoken firmly (and in court) that ICE agents are not welcome in our Meeting Houses. I’ve gone one step further locally and told them I will put up active passive resistance if anyone with a gun tries to enter our sacred place. I am not going to allow a gun in my Quaker Meeting House.
It could come to pass that we enter martial law or at least see the enactment of the Insurrection Act, which would almost virtually guarantee me a spot in the political gulag. My outspoken and publicly stated opinion is that the moment they tell us we are, we completely flood them with resistance. I have absolutely no intention of obeying or complying with any unlawful or unconstitutional orders or curfews.
We haven’t even touched on my politics. Let’s just say that someone yelled “Communist!” at me while I was demonstrating with Occupy once and I shocked them by thanking them.
I certainly am not advocating that you need to get arrested. Everyone needs to resist at whatever level they feel comfortable.
Just remember this: history is calling us. Ask yourself right now: how will you respond if they come for you or your loved ones in the middle of the night?
We’ve passed this being hyperbolic. Now it’s horrifyingly real. Stay safe. Stay strong, comrades. The resistance shall prevail!
Greg Stemm is a longtime resident of Pinellas County and a founder of St Pete Pride. He is an outspoken activist on many issues, including HIV/AIDS education.
