On Black Friday we went to the Peace Fair at the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center. It was so crowded that I couldn't stay very long, the jostling crowds of people who were pressed up against me from all sides were just too much, but we did get a little shopping in. I bought two things. One I can't really discuss because it's a present and there's an off chance the recipient might see this. I'll just say that it's handmade and I talked to the person who made it. I told her who I wanted a gift for, what kinds of things that person liked, and where that person would use/display the item. Between the two of us, we settled on the best possible choice.
In the outdoor area, I was looking at knitted hats and beaded bracelets, and my partner V gravitated over to a young guy who had no customers at his stand. He was selling small paintings he had made. I went over, too, and the other three people we were with stopped by as well. V engaged him in talking about his art, and I asked her, "Would you like one of his paintings?"
She said yes, so I had her pick one out, and I bought it. It's a painting of an anthropomorphized moon, but it's not the usual Loteria card moon which makes it unusual. As we were finishing up the transaction, other customers started drifting up to see what was going on, so hopefully he made some more sales.
Both of these encounters were very satisfying and mutually positive experiences, so unlike what many people experienced at the malls and big box stores (if the news is to be believed). I like meeting the person who made an item, especially when it's a gift. I like buying local. And I like spending my money with an organization that is truly queer friendly. I visited a link off twitter this morning that took me to an article about supporting gay friendly businesses like Target on Black Friday. Well, I do go to Target and yes, they do have a better record than some other businesses. But at the same time, they had workers coming in on Thanksgiving Day to work which I disapprove of. In this economy, workers at stores like Target and Wal-Mart don't have a lot of choices - either work during holidays or lose your job. That's exploitation.
The Esperanza Center, however, has a long history of providing real, authentic support for the queer community, for women, for people of color, for working class people, for the poor, and for other marginalized communities. I feel much better spending my symbolic Black Friday dollars there than I would've at Target.
I bought two more things on Black Friday, both of them bad but in service of good. I bought gas so I could drive to the hospital to see my mom (and dad). And when my dad texted me and told me the cafeteria was closed so all he had eaten was a candy bar and a Dr Pepper, I stopped at Whataburger and bought him a meal. Because he loves Whataburger and he was hungry and he needed some pampering. So those are both bad things in that they are bad for the Earth and the environment, but they were necessary and I don't feel guilty about them at all.
What did you buy?
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