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| Trump claims to want to protect lgbts from terrorists. |
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| But his vice presidential pick can't answer a simple question about equality |
Trump To Float Ideological Test For Immigrants: Must Agree With Religious Freedom And LGBT Rights - Don't even TRY it, Trump. You may be fooling SOME folks, but this queen and so many others aren't fooled. You claim to want to protect us from ISIS, but what about the homophobes in America, particularly your vice presidential pick, Mike Pence.
No, Marco Rubio Did Not Just Preach Tolerance For LGBT People - Speaking of folks trying to fool the lgbt community, very few of us is falling for Sen. Marco Rubio's fake mea culpa from last Friday.
The Mainstreaming of Gay Culture - Wonderful article. For the record, however, I am very resentful when these type of discussions come up. I am a Southern black gay male, born and raised. I've never been to the Castro, nor any other places that some folks consider to be the lgbt meccas. I don't like lgbt history and culture being defined solely by those places and the folks who lived there or are there now. There should be more of an appreciation of our diversity.
Poll: Young Americans overwhelmingly favor LGBT rights - I just looove the young folks. Now if we can get more of them to vote, particularly in mid-year elections.
On the mainstreaming of gay culture: I think also we should be more appreciation of diversity. However, I see the value of continuing our own cultural gathering places and social constructs. I lived in San Francisco in the late '80's and the experience of walking down Castro street holding your boyfriend's hand was indescribably eye opening. Maybe I'm too old, but even now, I don't feel completely comfortable in an all-hetero-but-welcoming crowd. I live in a very liberal, diverse neighborhood, however there aren't a lot of GLBTQ people here. Some, but not many. You go to a neighborhood party as a gay person or couple and there is a subtle way the conversation changes and the slight undercurrent of awkwardness that arrises. I really do not feel comfortable holding my other half's hand when we walk down our own street. Not that we'll be attacked or ridiculed, but you would see neighbors startled glances and even curious staring. When you go to a gay bar or some venue like it, that subtle awkwardness isn't there. You're surrounded by people who know what your life is like and what your concerns are. It's like the difference between a Manhattan socialite and a Colorado cowboy. Yes, you're both human, you may even like and support each other, but there are still major differences of background that are not all that easy to ignore or incorporate. I think we should all strive to continue to learn about each other and value our diversity. I also think there is nothing wrong with trying to preserve our cultural hangouts. Am I off base?
ReplyDeleteMainstreaming: Many of us white gay folks never left home to live in a gay ghetto and we had to live relatively guarded lives. I joined many local Gay and Lesbian organizations (we didn't use B,T,Q,or I back then) like Dignity, the Gay Men's Health Collective, etc to have the total gay immersion experience - places where we could be ourselves and not worry. I admit I have visited San Francisco, Provincetown and attended gay venues like the the Gay Games, Pride NYC, March on Washington, and others. The diversity has always been varied: sometimes more to the red end of the spectrum, sometime more to the purple if I may use the rainbow as a metaphor.
ReplyDeleteWhile I celebrate how far we have come - my husband and I have married - something we never imagined 28 years ago - I do have nostalgia for the camaraderie we seem to have lost and the sense we once had of belonging to some secret club. I, for one, had to write it down in a memoir lest I forget.