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Letter of support from Louise Minnick

Bay Area Reporter - 15 June, 2006
Letters to the Editor

Appreciates Courtesy

On Saturday, June 10 my faith in the younger set of the lesbian community was reinvigorated. My girlfriend and I attended the Queer Women of Color Film Night at the LGBT Community Center. The line was long but organizer Madeleine Lim was resolved to seat as many people as possible for the 7 p.m. showing. It was a standing-room- only crowd and being at the end of the line meant a place against the back wall.

Determined to see the films but dealing with an aging body that creaks and a bad back, I fidgeted from floor sitting to wall leaning. A woman of my vintage standing in front of me looked as miserable as I did,so I offered her a place on my wall. Moving to the side of the room I stood, without a wall, for five seconds and was told by a brash younger dyke I could not stand there. In quite a
Leaving the crowded room, Madeleine approached and asked if I would be returning, as if not she would let one other waiting woman in. I really didn't know as I needed to go outside to "chill out." Telling her I didn't mean to be a pain in the ass but ... I proceeded to comment that the room was too small and where was the handicapped seating for the old dykes? She said there were seats up front but perhaps not enough.

I wandered outside to calm myself when Madeleine appeared. She told me two people up front had left their seats and asked if I would like to return. I can't tell you how great it was to be heard – by the organizer herself. I couldn't believe she left her post to accommodate a crotchety old dyke. But she did.

Returning to a seat in the front I was able to enjoy all the films and was painless to boot. Thank you, Madeleine, and thanks for your caring and of course, your wonderful compassionate commitment to the films of women of color.

Also, this letter comes by way of saying let's all get on board to support this great group of women as it could mean next year a larger, more suitable appointed venue for us aging boomers who need to sit down but not be shut out of the cultural life of this beautiful city.

Louise Minnick
San Francisco



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