Those Were The Days
Although it seems like a very long time ago now, the above photo was taken in 2002, around the time when we Deafies were so politically motivated that we learned how to do things like climb, make banners, block roads and other "crazy" "radical" things to make ourselves heard. Via the slightly-more-mainstream FDP, we also managed to get thousands of Deafies to march for BSL recognition (our highest count was 9,000 people at the London BSL march in 2000). Those were good times indeed.
And then we burned out (well I did, and nothing else happened!).
Tonight, many Deafies will be in London again, but not for the same reasons at all. I've heard that around 2,000 people will be going to the Remark! Film and TV Awards to drink, be merry and of course find out who won the award for Best Actress and whatever else. I won't be one of them - it's not my kind of thing - but I hope everyone who goes has a fab time, and I want to hear all about it!
It's great that this kind of thing is happening, and I'm all for it. It does make me wonder about a few things, though:
* Have Deafies stopped being political now that BSL was recognised as a language in 2003, and think the work is finished (it’s not!)?
* But were Deafies, generally, ever really political? Thousands of Deaf 'youth' (and some not so young!) have been going to Blackpool Rally, now known as Deafpool, for years anyway; maybe people just go where the crowds are?
* Or maybe your average Deaf Brit is just the same as your average hearing Brit (if there is such a thing!?) and can't be arsed to get organised when it comes to politics?
... Maybe there's simply not enough active people like the Remark! guys and those who worked on BSL march organisational committees.
Whatever. Who cares anyway?
Answers welcome: comment below!