The Radical Fairie Oral History Project

The Radical Fairies are an oral culture.

>pause for laughter, dirty jokes, hissing<
May I continue? Good. Thank you. We are an oral culture and a musical culture. At various gatherings and events I have witnessed the monologues of Justin Bond, rare knowledge and uncommon wit in the Smokers Tent, a violin recital in the wilderness, dance music so hot it melted even my stone butch blues, a full costume production of the Muppets “Muh Nuh Muh Nuh”, funky bluegrass accordion, more drum circles they I care to count and stories of oppression and victory and everything in between. In whole, we are an aural culture. The community we’ve built shares its methods, mores, and myths in a tradition as old as the species itself…around a campfire and usually accompanied by several choice intoxicants.

Such an ad hoc and informal cultural arrangement surely has its advantages, perhaps especially in the modern age. It binds us closely together, forces us into proximity with one another. It insulates us from outside surveillance and interference. But it also has its weaknesses. It is ephemeral and fleeting. Blink or turn away and you’ve missed it. And this is starting to bother me. There are some things we must endeavor to keep and we don’t have much time.

I believe the brutal fact is that we are at or approaching an important generational tipping point in the Radical Fairie movement, perhaps the first we have ever faced. The Fairies, and gay men in general carry a particular demographic wound. In the eighties and early nineties the AIDS crisis cut a swathe through our communities. Many of those who would be our elders today lie buried as a result of criminal government negligence and the willful incompetence of the capitalist medical establishment. Although their numbers are harder to quantify I am sure even more succumbed in personal ways to the horror they witnessed. Emotional wounds that never healed, addiction to kill the pain, and sorrow unto suicide. The fact that the Radical Fairies weren’t destroyed and scattered to the winds in the holocaust is a testament to our strength. It has taught us to value the elders we have. It should also make us keenly and painfully aware that those elders may not be with us forever.

You see, I was born in 1981 and came out in 1995. Although I am aware of these events I cannot honestly say that they form the core of my experience. Those stories, and songs, as well as the ones we produce now are the stories I need to hear before they are lost forever.

It has taken me a while to get to my point, so here it is. I propose then, that in our own wonderfully haphazard way we must attempt to archive some of our oral and musical history before it evaporates into the ether. Inspired by groups like Appalshop, The Radical Fairie Oral History Project is something we can all contribute to. For the cost of an old tape recorder and a few cassettes we can make sure we don’t lose these vital pieces of our culture. We can make sure out culture is transmitted to the fairies now entering adulthood and those to come. The next time you go to a gathering or other fairie event drag the ol’ tape recorder out. Record a song, a conversation, or even just a snippet of the ambient bubble and buzz of our community. Above all talk to your elders. Listen to them. Learn from their experiences and record them. As I said, we may not have much time. Bring the tapes the next time you visit a sanctuary.

The next time I touch down at SMS I intend to bring a small box to place in the library to hold these treasures. With the blessing of the residents I would love to begin our first archive there. Of course, this is only because SMS is my “home” sanctuary. I’m counting on the rest of you to start archives at Zuni, at Destiny, at Wolf Creek and all our homesteads in-between. This being the 21^st century and all, I’m sure a digital archive cannot be far behind. I don’t currently possess the expertise to make that happen. In any event the collection phase of this project is most imperative at this point. Dissemination is important but faces far less of a time constraint.

I am not, by nature, a very spiritual person. You wont soon find me leading a ritual or invocation. I’m not very musical. In fact, my time spent at Lesbo/Hippy Summer Camp (Antioch College) has left me with an aversion to drum circles I am only now overcoming. Nevertheless, I feel called to make a contribution to the cultural continuity of our community. If my skills lie in the comparatively dull fields of archiving, research, and reportage then that is where I will make my contribution.

I hope you will join me. We can all make beautiful history together.