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As if we needed further evidence of the erosion
of free speech and the increasing limitations on creative expression
in these Republican-dominated and right wing times, the series of
eight oversized Stanley Tunick group nudes currently hanging at the
Sagamore (which were, in fact, photographed at this very hotel in
October 2007—and include some of Miami’s better-known torsos and
breasts) were recently covered by eight white tablecloths—due to a
complaint by a visiting Republican congressman staying at the hotel.
And given that the art-curated lobby of the
Sagamore was also, that very evening of the complaint, the scene of
the Winter Party Festival Media Reception sponsored by the Task
Force and the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA),
the white-tablecloth sheathed photos served as a poignant and
pointed reminder of the civil liberties jeopardy that often faces
the LGBT community.
In addressing the assembled journalists, ostensibly gathered
together for the kick-off of Winter Party Festival, Task Force head
Matt Foreman took the opportunity to remind us that just this week
there were several well-publicized incidents of anti-gay violence in
South Florida. As Foreman stated, there’s a political and pressing
need for Winter Party Festival, as well as for the funds generated
to promote equality and justice for the LGBT community. In other
words, dancing in the sand can be as much a political act and
statement as it is about looking good in your aussiebums—a
consideration we might all keep in mind throughout Winter Party
Festival, and thereafter.
Best always,
Mark and Robert
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