Chris Bartlett’s talk to BWMT/MACT National Convention Page 1

July 29, 2009, Philadelphia

I’d like to thank Ron Sy and my many friends in MACT Philadelphia for inviting me to
speak today. I am here today because I believe passionately in the history of powerful
LGBT movements—and I want to acknowledge BWMT and MACT for being a part of
that leadership.

I’m an old-school gay. I came of age during the height of the AIDS epidemic, when we
were burying people every week. Leadership was needed in numerous places, and we
can be grateful that many men and women stepped up to lead. Many people in this room
know what I am talking about. At that time, I was lucky to be a part of ACT UP
Philadelphia (with my friend David Acosta) and I had the great blessing to be part of an
intergenerational group of men and women who believed strongly in not only fighting for
people with AIDS, but also for people of color, and women, and immigrants rights, and a
woman’s right to choose abortion, and for poor people everywhere. So I was taught to
lead out of that context—with a big picture attitude that did not view gay people as
something unique- we were just one of the many targets in a great tradition of American
oppression.

What did I learn about leadership from ACT UP Philly? I learned that leadership is
largely claimed, not given. I learned that effective leaders are powerful listeners- they’re
able to understand the needs both of individuals and groups. I learned to listen to my
elders- and to have them teach me everything they knew. I learned to celebrate the
passion of youth—their incredible diversity of vision—and their ability to think outside
the box. And I learned to appreciate the adults in ACT UP—the men and women who
paid the bills, made sure the doors were open, welcomed and blessed the youth, and
included and celebrated the elders. ACT UP gave me all of that—and twenty years later,
I am still friends with many of the men and women I met in those rooms.

From that incredible experience, forged in the fire of the AIDS Crisis, I saw what
worked, and I learned consequently about the power of leadership and how to cultivate it.
Out of those lessons, and from many since, I know now that the number one challenge we
face in LGBT leadership is our inability to successfully pass our history, traditions,
ethical culture, and racial and social justice legacy from elders to adults to youth.

Intergenerational transmission of culture and history. How many people outside this
room know that BWMT conducted bar surveys to document racism in local gay bars.
How many people outside of this room know that MACT/BWMT generated dozens of
AIDS quilt panels to insure that no member of this organization who died was forgotten,
or how many people outside of this room, or even within it, remember all of the members
who died? How many of us know what Gerald Mallon stood for, or why Essex Hemphill
matters? I’m not asking these questions as a trivia game. But I do wonder how our
leaders can do their jobs powerfully when they don’t always know the lessons and
strategies that were honed by those in generations before them.

In order to learn from our elders or from our wise youth, we need to connect
Chris Bartlett’s talk to BWMT/MACT National Convention Page 2
July 29, 2009, Philadelphia

intergenerationally. We gay and bisexual men have a challenge connecting

intergenerationally. We’re fearful of being tagged as chicken hawks (if we’re older) or
golddiggers (if we’re younger). We don’t know where or how to meet men of other
generations. Once we do meet, we’re often unsure how to get past sexual energies,
attractions, romantic interest. Intergenerational friendships require stretching our comfort
zone a bit.

But I’m telling you now- in order for us to succeed in the next fifty years, every man and
woman in this room must take the lead in connecting intergenerationally. This is no
longer optional. Each of us must be willing to claim our unique role in the movement,
and share what we know with others of all ages. We must connect both with those who
are older, and those who are younger. It is a two way street.

But first of all, you need to understand where you are yourself. Youth. Adult. Elder. Or
Ancestor.

How many of us in the room consider themselves youth (please raise your hands):

How many of us in the room consider themselves adults (please raise your hands)

How many of us in the room consider themselves elders (please raise your hands)

How many of us in the room consider themselves ancestors (please raise your hands)

Once you know what you consider yourself (and it is simply a matter of claiming that
category)--- you can go about thinking about how you will connect with the other
categories. Here are some suggestions for leaders;

1. If you are a youth, learn about adulthood from an adult. If you are an adult, learn
about elderhood from and elder, and if you are an elder, learn about ancestorship
from an ancestor.
2. Secret mentorship- making a list of men and women you can be of service to
3. Creating a ritual of adulthood – a gay bar mitzvah
4. Creating a ritual of elderhood
5. Creating opportunities for adults and elders to bless the youth—three times
6. Creating opportunities for youth and adults to honor the elders
7. Document your history—put it on the web where everyone can find it
8. Create opportunities for celebrating the elder role—show younger gay men that
they can become elders, not just olders.
Chris Bartlett’s talk to BWMT/MACT National Convention Page 3
July 29, 2009, Philadelphia

Intergenerational connection is not rocket science, but it does require us using our
imagination to interact in new ways. To create opportunities that might have been
invisible in the past. That is the work of visionary leadership at this time.

I do want to acknowledge the powerful leadership at MACT for doing much of this work
already. I know you are doing it, because you have been doing your incredible work for
more than three decades.

I want to acknowledge you for your leadership in taking a stand for LGBT liberation—
looking at the intersection between LGBT struggles and the other significant civil rights
struggles of people of color, women, trans people, etc. This breadth of vision provides
opportunities for a diversity of population in your work.

I want to acknowledge you for your leadership in completing quilt panels for all of your
members who died of AIDS, and for continuing to celebrate your membership in other
ways.

I want to acknowledge you for your leadership in documenting your work: Gerald
Mallon Resisting Racism.

I want to acknowledge the incredible leadership in this room, because this is one of the
places that you are making leadership work—otherwise you wouldn’t still be here three
decades on. But I suspect that you know there are areas for growth—creating space for
youth, solidifying the job descriptions for adults, and more fully accessing the benefits to
be provided by elder participation. Perhaps you see new opportunities for
intergenerational dialogue, or for mentoring someone younger or older. My one request
is that each of you leave today feeling inspired to break down the intergenerational divide
in your own life. If you’re already doing this—take the next step. Show someone else
how to do it. Create a conversation that courageously explores our fears of each other.

I said earlier that this work is not optional. Why? Because the first generation of gay
liberation activists is in their 50s, 60s, and 70s. If we “ancestor” them out of the
movement—by that I mean close off their possibilities for ongoing participation, we do a
disservice to gay men of all generations. Youth and adults will see what is in store for
them down the line, and if they are smart, would take their organizing energies elsewhere.
If we don’t bless our youth and provide them opportunities for leadership,
If we don’t support our adults and connect them to youth and elders, they will likely
burnout and move on.

But if each of you in this room takes on the task of intergenerational connection and
transmission of history and traditions, we can expect that both youth and adults will jump
into the work and fun of BWMT, secure in the knowledge that there is a lifetime of
possibility for them both within the organization and in the movement.
Chris Bartlett’s talk to BWMT/MACT National Convention Page 4
July 29, 2009, Philadelphia