Tuesday, September 28, 2004

• "Recently:  The Coming Out Era"

  In a span of twenty years we have seen some of the most influential powers decide the fate of mankind.  The world we saw in the early 1980's was one with the dying of the "Hippy Age", a new virus was out called AIDS, Rolling Stones were still younger then fifty, and Ronald Reagan was battling the Iran-Contra in attempt to banish the Cold War.  Speed up twenty years and we experience an entirely different world.  Ronald Reagan had died, the American people are fighting a new war called "Terrorism", AIDS is wide-spread and rampit in Africa... the Middle East... and more threatening then ever in the USA.  Yet, there are still things that we see from the crazy eighties that have an impact on us today.  I got to thinking about why the world hasn't changed too much in the last twenty years.

  Of course, we've seen the advancement of the Computer Age, and the rise and fall of the Internet Age.  But the Gay Age?  American culture dignifies in itself the diversity we share, and the experiences we offer any person that wishes to cross our boundaries; the pursuit of happiness, and that the State/Goverment shall not deprive any person of life, liberty, and property.   Granted you are not one of color, a woman, or attracted to the same-sex.  If you desire to live a heterosexual, law abiding, working class, "American" life, you shall face no harm from society.  That seems odd to me... we strive to tell the world about our diversity yet we disrupt our own with segration against certain parties.  My friends always talk about how its getting better to be gay, but I don't feel that it has to become better for me to be gay.  What is it to be gay anyways?

  Its not like I chose to live this life style, rather I was blessed with the idea that I find the same sex more attractive then its counterpart.  I shouldn't have to justify why I like the same sex, and it isn't correct for me to blatter why you are straight.  I never heard of a straight person coming out to there parents, or them having to explain why they like women.  I've never seen any one question why a man and a woman were holding hands in public.  I've never seen my mother worried about a straight couple getting HIV or having unprotected sex.  And yet I hear people talk about how they'd like to "tap that girls ass" in broad day light, but never a gay guy to a bunch of straight guys talk about how he'd like to "tap that boys ass."

  The funny part about this whole gay image is that when you come out to the world people actually hold an opinion about you.  Yet when I was ranting and raving about how much I liked the "vagina" you could have gave two shits about what I thought.  Yeah, it was fun being in the closet when I was in my younger teens because no one really cared what I did as long as I talked about how much I liked women on occation.  Its almost like people are so afraid you might do something to them that they actually give a crap what your sex life is like now that you've proclaimed yourself gay. 

  Giving me a title is how Americans do things, and they keep you associated with that title by putting you into groups of the same title.  And in the American way, to title one person as gay is to associate them with every other gay man in the known universe and assume that he is a slut, very flambuoant, and has AIDS.  I got a leg up on this one before I even reached the closet door.  To justify that I am any one of these "things" is to assume you know me, when in fact you know nothing about me.  People always assume they know what it is that I want out of my life, but they really don't have any idea.  Plus, every one is on the defense when it comes to there moral and personal intregerity.  Grow up people.

  Blattering seems to get gay people no where in this day and age.  Consider the gay marriage policies and actions going on right now.  When the Mayor of San Franisco went out with saying that it was ok for the LGBT to get married we all rose our hands in victory.  Swiftly, we had celebrities of the LGBT community getting married (and I think they are still talking about Rosie O'Donald's haircut), Repulican were rushing to diminish the threat to there "marriage", and the Democrats had no idea what to do.  Most of America was deliberating whether or not they gave a damn until the President of the United States of American went on national televison and condemned acts of Gay marriage.  He wanted to bridge his own religious beliefs with that of the country; joining church and state into one.  Then we had the whole "either your with us or with them... and your gay if your with them."  The Marriage Amendment came and went, and the American lifestyle was buzzing about what ever else was going on.  It wasn't "cool" to be gay twenty years ago, and though its much more relaxed its not "cool" to be gay now either.

  So how do we ever complish being equal citizens in America?  We move to Canada.  Nothing wrong with Canada either.  I'm not joking; there is no way we will ever bridge the gap between the heterosexual world and the gay world, if there even is one.  For the last twenty years we have been in a Gay Age that is twarted by the ability for change in the way of American citizens lives.  It took nearly 200 years for African Americans to be recognized as equal individuals and I'm sure it will take at least 100 years for gay americans any noticeable change.  You can challenge me by saying that its taking place right now, the new wave of politicians and Americans are moving in, but I really don't think so.  It would take the church to state that God loves all people, the government to recognize that church and state are two different entities, and a couple of generations to get used to the idea of having two fathers or two mothers that were sleeping with each other.  Don't get me wrong, I want to have a family and a husband but I strongly feel that my marriage to my husband will never be justifiable to any state but Mass. and maybe Illnois.

  It is sad that in order for me to ever make it in this world I have to tell people whom I prefer, but it doesn't have to be this way.  I don't have to tell you what I prefer until you are looking for a partner, and honestly its none of your business whom I sleep with or whom I don't sleep with.  You can deny me my life because of who I am, but you can not deny me my life because of whom I love.  Can you really refuse any human being the right to live?

  Most importantly, are you going to refuse a group to live?

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

  Love,
  B

  ::In no way do I dislike Canada.  That place is awesome.  But when  you live in Ames, Iowa its fucking hard to like much.  Haha::

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