By Uncle Abdul

Just recently the community had a fundraiser for a deserving young lady named Pam. Rather than get into the details about this Pam (which most people know anyway) the fundraiser consisted of an online auction and a couple of very successful parties. The upshot of this whole mention is that it is a wonderful example of the community getting together to support a common cause.

The interesting thing is there was another earlier time and (... you guessed it...) another Pam.

It was the early '80's. There was a Dominatrix from Sacramento, who got into a legal hassle over a wrongful bust, and a fund raising effort for her was made to help her with her legal expenses. Wonderful community support was demonstrated in both cases, but it would be interesting to compare the two instances.

In the '80's there was no Internet. Spreading the word was done by announcements at Janus program meetings, talking it up at parties, and articles and inclusions in Growing Pains. Back then we thought the spinup to action was done in record time. Today in a matter of a couple of days the word was spread via several e-mail lists and an auction was set up complete with a PayPalä account. This made the 'remarkable progress' of the '80's glacial in comparison.

There was also a difference in the manner of fund raising. Today's Pam had the online auction and parties. The '80's Pam had a fund raising show.

It was kindda like in the old Mickey Rooney movies where he breathlessly rushes in and says, "Hey gang, the clubhouse is in trouble. Let's put on a show to save it." And so we had a show ... a real one in a theater with a stage and acts and all.

Oh, there were some amusing things about that show. I still remember the band that was hired to entertain us. It later went on to become a punk band of some small note, but to me it sounded like a sonata for an emptying dumpster and a cast iron radiator falling down the stairs. There was also an amusing little skit by Lady Pappillion about the real power in a M/s relationship.

The thing is that such a venue was the only one that could possibly have a chance at raising such funds. It was also in the days when folk were more closeted and far less willing to attend such a public event. It took some courage to attend back then. It's perhaps easier today.

That '80's community action was the first large such community fund raiser. At best it was a tenuous attempt, but it did coalesce the community.

And isn't that what these efforts are all about: i.e., the community pulling together for a common cause. It appealed to a sense of coming together to help out a friend in trouble. It's good that such an attitude still exists today as it was years ago.

Chao-4-Now

Unc'