Julia Weber
Flowing was larger than life to me, having first met her in 1986 as a sophomore when I was studying Women's Studies at Wash U. She changed and shaped my life in multiple ways, as did Marcia. From Flowing, I learned how to be an effective advocate for change, an ally and a radical feminist, and how to have fun and enjoy music, art, good food, and deep friendships while living intentionally with joy. Her smile lit up the classroom while she taught us serious and heavy topics with gravitas and wisdom. I trained in civil disobedience with her, protested the war at the Defense Mapping Agency, for reproductive health and rights (along with Marcia) and clinics, and we camped it up with Queer Nation to protest the Boy Scouts and stop the church. We attended funerals together during the AIDS crisis, attended countless meetings where I learned all about the importance of effective and inclusive process, and I loved seeing Flowing whenever I could get to Michigan for the Festival each August. And I'll never forget the Star Trek parties. I moved away in 1999, but had the pleasure of catching up with Marcia and Flowing when I visited. Their love for each other, the clarity they brought to understanding the world, and their curiosity and kindness served as such a defining example to me. In this picture, that's me in the St Louis Pride shirt in 1992, I think and my dear friend Stacey to my right who also adored Flowing and Marcia. If I find more photos. I'll add them. I work on violence prevention policies and provide training now; so much of what I do and how I do it, and how I teach, is based on what I soaked up from Flowing from 1986 on. I'm eternally grateful to be able to call her a mentor and a friend. I'll keep sharing the stories with the next generations to keep her memory, and Marcia's, too, alive for as long as possible. Healing thoughts and gratitude to all who were with her every day and there for her during these more recent times. She created and was part of a beautiful community.
