Wednesday, May 12, 2010

You don't want to stay at a Bad Hotel!

Have I mentioned recently that LGBT activists are fabulous?



The Westin St. Francis Hotel in downtown San Francisco won't give their unionized workers a contract. The Brass Liberation Orchestra, One Struggle, One Fight and Pride at Work put in an appearance in their lobby the other day -- just to make sure any queers planning to visit for Pride festivities next month know where not to stay. The result is hilarious and well worth watching. [4:59]

There's a long tradition of LGBT activists putting on some of the most creative demonstrations in this city. Back in 1991 when George Bush I was mounting his war on Iraq, antiwar actions lasted for days. We did lots of memorable stuff -- blocking the Bay Bridge, for example. The peace movement was organized enough to parcel out the nightly actions to different segments of the community. On Gay night, I remember prancing through the lobby of the Parc 55 Hotel which was then resisting its workers' demands.

Workers eventually won at the Parc 55 -- and in this city, we can help them win again. Check out Sleep With the Right People for more on at the hotel worker-LGBT alliance.

2 comments:

Rona Fernandez said...

I'm working a part-time contact in the financial district these days (a very strange place), and walked by the Hyatt Regency on Embarcadero on my way to lunch yesterday. I heard them before I saw them: a small but vocal picket line of union members in front of the hotels' main entrance, chanting 'What do we want? Contract! When do we want it? Now!"

Made my heart sing!

Sarah Lawton said...

The Lady Gaga take-off at the St. Francis was genius. It has been played many times on youtube at my house--the kids loved it especially, as they already know the original song Bad Romance by heart, and I later overheard them ask someone if she was staying at one of the boycotted hotels (she wasn't).