Official MGGB Manifesto: Politburo Responds to OUTBOUND Allegations

Official MGGB Manifesto

Politburo Responds to OUTBOUND Allegations

Milwaukee Guerrilla Gay Bar would like to thank the editors and publishers of OUTBOUND, and specifically their columnist “Brent,” for featuring our organization in his July 16 column of “Skin & Steel.”  Since we’re a thrifty, zero-budget, not-for-profit organization, MGGB is always grateful for a cost-savings opportunity.  So we are especially grateful that Brent donated his monthly column space to ultimately prove exactly why Milwaukee Guerrilla Gay Bar has been so successful in our community.

That being said, we’d like to address the preposterous statements that Brent (and, despite the weak disclaimer, OUTBOUND) makes about Milwaukee Guerrilla Gay Bar.  These accusations range from silly to slanderous, from ludicrous to libelous, and ultimately reflect very poorly on OUTBOUND, a publication that should represent the entire LGBT community. Regrettably, OUTBOUND has grievously misrepresented Milwaukee Guerrilla Gay Bar in a manner that demands an apology, if not a full retraction.  How inflammatory was this column? Well, let’s just say that if we were a less playful organization, you’d be hearing from our attorney.

First and foremost, let’s get one thing straight.  Brent is correct about one and only one thing. MGGB did decide to show their pride for Pride Fest weekend.  But despite Brent’s allegations, no one at MGGB “spray painted their logo on the concrete in front of the taverns.” (sic)  This is a completely untrue statement – spray paint was never used at any time.

In fact, MGGB used nothing more than washable sidewalk chalk to decorate the parade route with our logo text.  Yes. That’s right.  Our columnist friend is hysterical, accusing a community group of vandalism, and encouraging legal action be taken.  And it’s all about washable sidewalk chalk being used on public sidewalks.

We’re sorry that you feel we defaced your “home,” Brent, but quite frankly, most people wouldn’t consider the sidewalk to be home.  And most people wouldn’t consider sidewalk chalk to be a sinister threat to the legitimacy of the LGBT community.

Per the City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works, no permit is required for sidewalk chalk messaging, and therefore MGGB broke no ordinances or laws through these actions.  The logo was not offensive, did not promote a for-profit business, and could be removed quickly and easily with water. So, despite Brent’s impassionate pleas that our people “get what they deserve,” there’s no need for anyone to “turn themselves in” to the Milwaukee Police Department.  This harmless marketing practice is frequently used at community events, including Summerfest, Bastille Days, Jazz in the Park, Downtown Employee Appreciation Week, Locust Street Festival and River Rhythms.

But Brent wants you to believe that MGGB willfully damaged public property and caused a considerable cost to taxpayers. Truth be told, the only cost to taxpayers was a rainy day.  Most of the sidewalk logos were washed away by rainwater within a week.  A garden hose would have eliminated the chalk logo in less than five minutes.

Brent states that our “egotistical” action was guided by what we could “take.” But what, exactly, was taken?  MGGB is a not-for-profit organization that earns nothing from its events but the thrill of bringing new people together in new places.  We gained nothing from the sidewalk messaging but exposure, awareness and pride.  Our branding experiment allowed MGGB to be visible at the Pride Parade, which would otherwise be quite difficult and inappropriate for members of a guerrilla organization.  And this was by no means our only Pride advertising — the editors of OUTBOUND may also note that MGGB contributed full-page funding for the 2009 Pride Guide.  After enduring this editorial attack, MGGB will reconsider our support for the Pride Guide in 2010.

Next up:  let’s be clear.  The goal of MGGB is not, and never has been, to “steal the GLBT business away” by “dragging the GLBT population to straight bars.” (sic) Are we to believe that MGGB has robbed bar patrons of their right to choose?  It’s hard to imagine that a monthly 2-hour takeover event can make or break someone’s business. We offer our fans an exciting new monthly option, encourage them to take full advantage of everything Milwaukee has to offer – and they choose where to spend their dollars.

After all, MGGB was born out of frustration with the traditional “bar scene” – and to bring together a diverse group of people who may not fit convenient labels.  We are now entering our 25th consecutive month of positively promoting the citywide visibility of our LGBT community with a monthly takeover event.  By building bridges between the gay and straight communities, we are also building empowerment and confidence for our people.  For two years, these events have continued to grow and thrive through the passionate loyalty and generosity of our fans, with each month seeing greater attendance numbers than the last.  And to be fair, we have also scheduled a monthly afterparty at a LGBT establishment, following the straight bar takeover.  Despite Brent’s attempts to arouse suspicion of what we’ll do “inside your business door,” over 40 proprietors – gay and straight– can tell you exactly what MGGB has done inside their doors with the power of the LGBT dollar.  Should business owners be worried about us?  Will they cut their affiliations to MGGB, at Brent’s urging? Doubtful – since many of these business owners have already asked us to come back, and new businesses are inviting us every month to invade them.

We were perplexed by Brent’s third untrue statement, which alleges that no contact information is available on our website, and that we are dodging accountability for our “actions.”  In fact, the “About Us” page on our website (www.mkeggb.com) offers no less than six different ways to contact MGGB, including e-mail, SMS text messaging, mailing list and social networking options.  Based on the fact that we’ve accumulated over 2,000 fans over the past two years, we find it difficult to believe that anyone actually trying to contact us would have a problem doing so.

Just when we thought Brent’s accusations couldn’t be any more delusional, the OUTBOUND writer compares MGGB to anti-gay protestors, perpetrators of hate crimes, criminals, Nazis, Mobsters, gangsters, monkeys, and most carelessly of all, Julius Burton, who recently shot two Milwaukee Police Officers in Walker’s Point.  What does MGGB have in common with these undesirables?  We’re not clear.  Brent has accused MGGB of “defaming our wonderful city’s streets.”  Yet, by resorting to irresponsible and immature name-calling, he defames himself, the publication, and any LGBT establishments he is associated with.

So now that we’ve reviewed the facts, what was all this ranting and raving all about?  We still aren’t sure.  Our advice to Brent?  Stick with writing about tattoos and piercings, because you’re not cut out for journalism. Our advice to OUTBOUND?  Think twice before you publish a writer whose goal is not to support and promote readers, but to generate mistrust, hostility and hate mail.  Where exactly does encouraging those negative behaviors fit into your definition of “community?”

Citizen X

Voice of the Politburo

Milwaukee Guerrilla Gay Bar

Milwaukee Guerrilla Gay Bar would like to thank the editors and publishers of OUTBOUND magazine, and specifically their columnist “Brent,” for featuring our organization in his July 16 column of “Skin & Steel.”  Since we’re a thrifty, zero-budget, not-for-profit organization, MGGB is always grateful for a cost-savings opportunity.  So we are especially grateful that Brent donated his monthly column space to ultimately prove exactly why Milwaukee Guerrilla Gay Bar has been so successful in our community.

That being said, we’d like to address the preposterous statements that Brent (and, despite the weak disclaimer, OUTBOUND) makes about Milwaukee Guerrilla Gay Bar.  These accusations range from silly to slanderous, from ludicrous to libelous, and ultimately reflect very poorly on OUTBOUND, a publication that should represent the entire LGBT community.  Regrettably, OUTBOUND has grievously misrepresented Milwaukee Guerrilla Gay Bar in a manner that demands an apology, if not a full retraction.  How inflammatory was this column? Well, let’s just say that if we were a less playful organization, you’d be hearing from our attorney.

We were just going to ignore this lunacy, but since Brent’s most recent column again misrepresents our organization, we feel compelled to confirm some facts for OUTBOUND’s editor, staff, and readers.  This is more for your benefit than ours, since not a single one of our fans mentioned anything about this defamatory column in a full month since it was published.  How unfortunate that OUTBOUND’s attempt to generate hate mail came to nothing at all.

——————————————————————————————————-

First and foremost, let’s get one thing straight.  Brent is correct about one and only one thing. MGGB did decide to show their pride for Pride Fest weekend.  But despite Brent’s allegations, no one at MGGB “spray painted their logo on the concrete in front of the taverns.” (sic)  This is a completely untrue statement – spray paint was never used at any time.

In fact, MGGB used nothing more than washable spray chalk to decorate the parade route with our logo text.  Yes. That’s right.  Our columnist friend is hysterical, accusing a community group of vandalism, and encouraging legal action be taken.  And it’s all about washable sidewalk chalk being used on public sidewalks.

We’re sorry that you feel we defaced your “home,” Brent, but quite frankly, most people wouldn’t consider the sidewalk to be home.  And most people wouldn’t consider sidewalk chalk to be a sinister threat to the legitimacy of the LGBT community.

Per the City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works, no permit is required for sidewalk chalk messaging, and therefore MGGB broke no ordinances or laws through these actions.  The logo was not offensive, did not promote a for-profit business, and could be removed quickly and easily with water. So, despite Brent’s impassionate pleas that our people “get what they deserve,” there’s no need for anyone to “turn themselves in” to the Milwaukee Police Department.  This harmless marketing practice is frequently used at summertime events, including Summerfest, Bastille Days, Jazz in the Park, Downtown Employee Appreciation Week, Locust Street Festival and River Rhythms.   And to date, there hasn’t been any citizen outcry about it.

But Brent wants you to believe that MGGB willfully damaged public property and caused a considerable cost to taxpayers. Truth be told, the only cost to taxpayers was a rainy day.  Most of the sidewalk logos were washed away by rainwater within a week.  A garden hose would have eliminated the chalk logo in less than two minutes.

Brent states that our “egotistical” action was guided by what we could “take.” But what, exactly, was taken?  MGGB is a not-for-profit organization that earns nothing from its events but the thrill of bringing new people together in new places.   To date, we have not profited one dime from any of our events.  And we gained nothing from the sidewalk messaging but exposure, awareness and pride.  Our branding experiment allowed MGGB to be visible at the Pride Parade, which would otherwise be quite difficult and inappropriate for members of a guerrilla organization.  And this was by no means our only Pride advertising — the editors of OUTBOUND may also note that MGGB contributed full-page funding for the 2009 Pride Guide.  After enduring this unwarranted editorial attack, MGGB will reconsider our support for the Pride Guide in 2010.

———————————————————————————————————

Next up:  let’s be clear.  The goal of MGGB is not, and never has been, to “steal the GLBT business away” by “dragging the GLBT population to straight bars.” (sic)  Are we to believe that MGGB has robbed bar patrons of their right to choose?  It’s hard to imagine that a monthly 2-hour takeover event can make or break someone’s business. We offer our fans an exciting new monthly option, bring them out for a night of fun and adventure, encourage them to stay out and take full advantage of everything Milwaukee has to offer – but they choose where to spend their dollars, not us.

After all, MGGB was born out of frustration with the traditional “bar scene” – and to bring together a diverse group of people who may not fit convenient labels.  We are now entering our 25th consecutive month of positively promoting the citywide visibility of our LGBT community with a monthly takeover event.  By building bridges between the gay and straight communities, we are also building empowerment and confidence for our people.  For two years, these events have continued to grow and thrive through the passionate loyalty and generosity of our fans, with each month seeing greater attendance numbers than the last.  And to be fair, we have also scheduled a monthly afterparty at a LGBT establishment, following the straight bar takeover.  Despite Brent’s attempts to arouse suspicion of what we’ll do “inside your business door,” over 40 proprietors – gay and straight– can tell you exactly what MGGB has done inside their doors with the power of the LGBT dollar.

Should business owners be worried about us?  Will they cut their affiliations to MGGB, at Brent’s urging? Doubtful – since many of these business owners have already asked us to come back, and new businesses are inviting us every month to invade them.   The power of the LGBT dollar is being proven each and every First Friday, and businesses are now catering to our demographic rather than making us feel unwelcome.   This is a bad thing?

———————————————————————————————————

We were perplexed by Brent’s third untrue statement, which alleges that no contact information is available on our website, and that we are dodging accountability for our “actions.”  In fact, the “About Us” page on our website (www.mkeggb.com) offers no less than six different ways to contact MGGB, including e-mail, SMS text messaging, mailing list and social networking options. Based on the fact that we’ve accumulated over 2,000 fans over the past two years, we find it difficult to believe that anyone actually trying to contact us would have a problem doing so.   And really, Brent,  it’s bad form to make such an issue of anonymity when your column is signed only with your first name!

———————————————————————————————————

Just when we thought Brent’s accusations couldn’t be any more delusional, the OUTBOUND writer compares MGGB to anti-gay protestors, perpetrators of hate crimes, criminals, Nazis, Mobsters, gangsters, monkeys, and most carelessly of all, Julius Burton, who recently shot two Milwaukee Police Officers in Walker’s Point.  What does MGGB have in common with these undesirables?  We’re not clear.  Brent has accused MGGB of “defaming our wonderful city’s streets.”  Yet, by resorting to irresponsible and baseless name-calling, he defames himself, the publication, and any LGBT establishments he is associated with.

So now that we’ve reviewed the facts, what was all this ranting and raving all about?  We still aren’t sure.  Our advice to Brent?  Stick with writing about tattoos and piercings, because you’re not cut out for journalism. Our advice to OUTBOUND?  Think twice before you publish a writer whose goal is not to support and promote readers, but to generate mistrust, hostility and hate mail about a LGBT organization.  Where exactly does encouraging those negative behaviors fit into your definition of “supporting the community?”

Citizen X

Voice of the Politburo

Milwaukee Guerrilla Gay Bar

From the July 16, 2009 edition of OUTBOUND magazine:

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