I love the awesome Texas dyke scene; I had an amazing time roaming The Montrose as a youth, and had my tush saved on a couple of occasions while homeless because of the love and friendship offered by some great women (biological and otherwise) in my life. Reading the works of Pat Parker (born January 20th, 1944 in Houston) reminds me of some of the lovely women I've been fortunate enough to meet, and it also makes me think of my favorite things about Texas: strong, independent, no-bs women who shoot straight, carry a big stick, and only walk and talk as softly as a situation calls for. 

Like me and a lot of my friends, Pat also left home at an early age to educate herself in the western side of the country, and also like us, Pat is unafraid of her own boldness. Though she had a short life, it was a productive and prolific one, and at every turn she made her mark. Though she died from breast cancer on June 19th of 1989, Pat's brave words live on.

"Every time we watched
a queer hassled in the 
streets and said nothing --
It was an act of perversion.

Everytime we lied about
the boyfriend or girlfriend
at coffee break --
It was an act of perversion.

Everytime we heard,
"I don't mind gays
but why must they
be blatent?" and said nothing --
It was an act of perversion.

Everytime we let a lesbian mother
lose her child and did not fill
the courtroom --
It was an act of perversion.

Everytime we let straights
make out in our bars while
we couldn't touch because
of laws --
It was an act of perversion.

Everytime we put on the proper
clothes to go to a family
wedding and left our lovers
at home --
It was an act of perversion.

Everytime we heard
"Who I go to bed with
is my personal choice --
It's personal not political"
and said nothing --
It was an act of perversion.

Everytime we let straight relatives
bury our dead and push our
lovers away --
It was an act of perversion."

- From Movement In Black, 1978 

 *photo