We Are - Lisa Kanemoto

FROM THE 1984 PUBLICATION “WE ARE” OUTREACH PRESS

Habit-clad, hips swaying, attention-seeking, Fred Brungard, 'Sister Missionary Position,' inspired my interest in gay people. I judged him severely as weird and frivolous. Yet I photographed him with fascination and discovered a most sensitive, thoughtful man with the unusual courage to act out what he believes in, and I felt ashamed of my prejudices.

Sincere thanks to each person portrayed here for trusting me, for enriching my life with their individual qualities and for having been so disarmingly open and kind. A special thanks to my friend, Tom, for the creation of this web page.

Lisa Kanemoto

IN MEMORY OF MARY DUNLAP
WHOSE COMMITMENT TO JUSTICE EXTENDED TO ALL
1948-2003

MARY C. DUNLAP, Civil Rights Lawyer

In the world I work and long for
Women do not get wounded for
Being women.
And men do not fight wars
For being men.
Color does not clash with color.
Every color is beautiful, necessary
In its relation to every other.

Dream on, scoff the cynics, dream on.

In the world I am in now
I am one infinitesimal speck of life,
A lesbian woman dreamer advocate life,
Who believes it possible
For this world to be more and more
The one I work and long for.

And in the dream world
There is never too much loving between women,
There is never too much loving between men.
And wrong ways of touching
Are intimately discovered
And intimately changed
In care for the person touched.
The hand of the law does not seize or strike
Me, or anyone, for who we love.
Homophobes embrace lesbians.
Fag-baiters, fag-bashers reach out to gay men
As people.
Lesbians, gay men, forgive, comprehend, hug back
And the cynics learn to swim
In tears of joy.

MARY C. DUNLAP