Why We Eat Fire
In 1992 an African American lesbian, Hattie Mae Cohen, and her gay male roommate, Brian Mock, like many queers in Oregon, were fighting Ballot Measure 9. This initiative would have amended the state constitution to declare homosexuality “abnormal, wrong, unnatural and perverse”. On September 26, 1992, skinheads fire-bombed their Salem home in the middle of the night. They both burned to death.
In response to the Oregon firebombing, Lesbian Avenger Chapters across the US began a fire eating ritual. The Boston Lesbian Avengers performed the fire eating ritual at the first Boston Dyke March in 1995 and it has been part of every Boston Dyke March since then. Its purpose is to memorialize and honor all the LGBTQ folk who have experienced hate crimes, and to call upon our collective strength and power in the face of bigotry and hate.
In honor of all the fierce LGBTQ warriors of the past, present and future, we ask for a few moments of collective silence for our fire eating ritual.
Written by Jo Trigilio
June 2013
previous version:
Why We Eat Fire - Gunner Scott 2007
In response to the Oregon firebombing, Lesbian Avenger Chapters across the US began a fire eating ritual. The Boston Lesbian Avengers performed the fire eating ritual at the first Boston Dyke March in 1995 and it has been part of every Boston Dyke March since then. Its purpose is to memorialize and honor all the LGBTQ folk who have experienced hate crimes, and to call upon our collective strength and power in the face of bigotry and hate.
In honor of all the fierce LGBTQ warriors of the past, present and future, we ask for a few moments of collective silence for our fire eating ritual.
Written by Jo Trigilio
June 2013
previous version:
Why We Eat Fire - Gunner Scott 2007
