Join us as we talk with Kevin Hertzog, co-founder of Gays Against Guns.
From their website: "Gays Against Guns NY is an inclusive direct action group of LGBTQ people and their allies committed to nonviolently breaking the gun industry's chain of death—investors, manufacturers, the NRA and politicians who block safer gun laws.We are New York-based but work with GAG chapters in other cities to ensure safety for all individuals, particularly vulnerable communities such as people of color, women, people who struggle with mental health issues, LGBTQ people and religious minorities. GAG condemns white supremacy, all instances of excessive force by police, and police militarization. "
Kevin moved from New Jersey to New York City in 1982 to attend NYU. A year later he followed his spiritual teacher to the Pacific Northwest, but returned to NYC the following year when a friend told him about the nightclub Area, and warned him against missing out on experiencing it. The AIDS crisis informed his young life, but he pursued a career as a commercial artist nonetheless. Activism was always in the background : he attended Act Up meetings and marched in anti-war protests, demonstrations against the Republican National Convention and, more recently, Black Lives Matter actions. But when the massacre at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando happened, a shift took place in his consciousness.
Along with a few friends, and a lot of strangers, he co-founded GAYS against GUNS. Since that time, GaG has become his passion as well as his identity. He has also acted as an organizer at Rise and Resist, and has participated in other political action organizations, but GaG is his “home”.
- KBOO